By Impledeep Kaur Sohi (BAC Apprentice)
On 27th August 2021, BAC organised its weekly Work Different session for employees. Collaborating with Mr. Manerathnem Maran, the Marketing Director of Creative Mind Ventures Sdn Bhd, Marefat International School, and South East Asia Academy, this webinar featured the topic ‘21st Century Skills for All Employees’. Mr. Manerathnem was invited as the key speaker, to provide some insight on the different skills employees should possess in their workplace.
The purpose of this event was to educate the attendees on 21st Century Skills that are relevant in today’s job market, and their demand in the workplace. In this globally and digitally interconnected world, employees need new skills and knowledge, to succeed. The rapid changes worldwide require individuals to be flexible, to take an initiative and lead when necessary, and to produce something new and useful. Therefore, it is essential that employees are aware of what employers look for, in today’s day and age. Hence, this webinar was vital in order to cultivate a sense of realisation amongst the attendees.
Speaking to 25 attendees, Mr. Manerathnem managed to cover several skills, namely:
- The Art of Learning
- Critical Thinking
- Communications Skills
- Problem Solving Skills
- Adaptability
- Creativity and Innovation,
- Adaptability/being fluid/agile
- Collaboration
- Self-direction and Self assessment,
- Application of Technology to Workflow
- Leadership Skills
- Marketing Skills
- Entrepreneurial skills
- Management skills (time, people, finances, risks, and health)
- Ikigai and Kaizen (Japanese concepts – a reason for being and continuous improvement)
At the end of the webinar, Mr. Manerathnem advised all the attendees that having the right attitude in whatever one does, will bring them a long way.
Attendees were also asked to do a self-assessment test based on their skills at the end of the webinar. On the whole, this interactive session received a lot of positive response from the attendees as they found the content very resourceful and insightful.
This session gave the attendees an opportunity, to gain knowledge on the importance of adopting and building new skills needed, to stay relevant in the 21st century.
