BAC Brings Education and Industry Together to Develop the Future Workforce

PETALING JAYA, 28 Sept 2026 – BAC Education Group launched its Preferred Employer Partnership Programme (PEPP) on 24 September 2026, bringing together 31 founding partners to help students build the skills, experience and connections needed for a changing world of work.

The programme creates a closer working relationship between education and industry through internships, graduate employment, mentorship, industry engagement and future-skills development. Employers are invited to help shape students’ preparation throughout their education, giving them earlier exposure to real workplace challenges and expectations.

BAC Education Group Co-Founder and Chief Future Officer Raja Singham said developing talent was a shared responsibility, with educators and employers each playing a vital role in connecting learning with opportunity.

BAC and their Future Workforce

“For me, this partnership is about opening doors. A young person’s potential can go much further when someone gives them an opportunity, guidance and the confidence to grow. Through PEPP, we want employers to be part of that journey from the beginning,” he said.

“Employers understand how their industries are changing. Educators have a responsibility to bring that insight into what and how we teach. When we work together, we can prepare people to contribute, adapt and keep learning throughout their careers.”

Raja said BAC’s Career First Education and AI Native approach reflected the need to combine strong academic foundations with practical skills, industry experience and sound judgement. Students must learn to use emerging technologies responsibly while developing the ability to question information, solve problems and work across disciplines.

“A degree should open up possibilities. It gives you a foundation to build on as your interests, skills and the world around you evolve. We want our students to see how far they can go when they connect their expertise with knowledge from other fields,” he said.

He described this as a polymath mindset, supported by the depth and breadth of a T-shaped professional: strong expertise in one discipline, combined with the ability to work across areas such as technology, business, communication and governance.

A law graduate, for example, could build towards opportunities in data protection, governance, ESG or legal technology. A media graduate could combine storytelling with data, communications technology and AI to pursue emerging roles across industries. Adaptability and continued learning would help graduates explore these possibilities throughout their working lives.

Founding partners include Daythree Business Services, Merchantrade Asia, Volvo Car Malaysia, shopper360, Peoplelogy Bhd, Zul Rafique & Partners, Asustek Computer Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Supernewsroom.AI, Rosli Dahlan Saravanan n Partners,West Coast Expressway, The Malaysian Institute of Human Resource Management and the Chartered Governance Institute of Malaysia.

Supernewsroom.AI CEO Manminder Kaur Dhillon said the partnership would give students earlier exposure to the skills and technologies they would increasingly need in the workplace.

“BAC deserves credit for recognising that the skills gap cannot be solved after graduation, employers need to be part of the education journey much earlier. For example, the PR and communications professionals of tomorrow must be AI-ready, and that means far more than knowing how to prompt. They need a deeper understanding of AI, communications technology, media intelligence, data and AI visibility, including how trusted information influences what AI cites and recommends.

“At Supernewsroom.AI, we want students to understand that future now, so they enter the workforce ready for where the industry is heading,” she explained.

The initiative also sits within BAC’s wider approach to lifelong learning, which includes HRDA Academy workforce development programmes, BAC Coursera Academy and postgraduate pathways across the group, supporting people at different stages of their careers.

“The future workforce includes the people already working with us today. Alongside giving graduates their first opportunity, we must help experienced employees develop new capabilities and continue contributing. Both deserve a place in the future we are building,” Raja said.

BAC’s longer-term ambition is to grow PEPP to 500 employers, with partnerships that create meaningful opportunities and bring industry insight into the learning journey.

“We begin with 31 partners who are willing to help shape what comes next. Together, we can build the talent our organisations need and give more people the opportunity to build the lives they deserve,” Raja added.

For programme information and partnership enquiries, email pepp@bac.edu.my.