Kuala Lumpur, 27 January 2025: Secondary school students are now better prepared to make informed decisions in order to realise their career goals, say Malaysian school counsellors after participating in the Spark training programme by the Financial Industry Collective Outreach (FINCO).

The training has been cascaded to 297 counsellors nationwide,  benefitting over 1,600 secondary school students. Counsellors reported that not only have they improved their facilitation skills, they  were now more discerning of their students’ perceptions regarding post-SPM planning, while 85% of students responded positively to the modules by reporting a deeper understanding of the information presented to them.

The programme, which FINCO launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE)’s Daily School Management Division (BPSH), aims to equip counsellors with the information, skills and resources necessary to guide their students on their post-Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) pathways, including emerging and in-demand careers.

Training kicked off with a pilot session in August 2024 involving 30 counsellors from Penang, Johor, Sarawak, Terengganu, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang. It then continued with online and face-to-face sessions nationwide until October 2024, running concurrently with teachers delivering the modules in schools up until mid-January this year.

Commenting on the success of the initiative thus far, FINCO Chairman Tan Sri Azman Hashim said, “The financial industry has been consistently working with FINCO to create sustainable and meaningful collective impact as we continue working towards achieving our goal of reducing inequality and creating access to high quality education for all. We are grateful for the strategic collaboration with the Ministry of Education and their continued support of these efforts.”

Initially, the post-SPM pathways modules were delivered by FINCO and its delivery partners in 2023. After the successful outcome of 95% of students sharing that they were now able to identify at least two steps they needed to take to achieve their career aspirations, BPSH suggested that school counsellors be given the opportunity to deliver the module themselves, thus reaching more students.

In addition to the training, FINCO also provided resources such as career posters, student activity books, module slides and a lesson plan to help counsellors run the module smoothly.

“I enjoyed participating in the Spark workshop because it’s different from other courses I have attended. This workshop was very effective for me because I was able to apply facilitation techniques in guiding students to explore various careers using the module, which is interesting, easy to understand and a useful tool for students to get to know a wide array of careers,” said Haryati binti Musa, a counsellor from SMK Sultan Ismail II, Terengganu.

Chai Chian Rou from SMK Taman Bukit Maluri, Kuala Lumpur, echoed this sentiment, adding that while she had been a teacher for a long time, developing facilitation skills was something new for her. Chai said that she would use the methods learned during the workshop to deliver the module to her students in small groups first to build up her confidence to deliver it to larger groups in the future.

“The module, activity books and materials provided by FINCO are full of useful information for students and very helpful during student activities. Students are very active in responding to the questions posed and more of them are open to sharing their own thoughts and opinions. 

“After running this module myself as a facilitator, I feel more confident to continue delivering it to other students,” said Noorsalehan binti Noor, a teacher from SMK Kota Samarahan, Sarawak.

Students of SMK Kota Samarahan engaging with the post-SPM pathways module materials.

A student from SMK Dong, Pahang, said being able to explore emerging jobs and engaging in the priority wheel activity helped her choose the most suitable and interesting direction for her based on her characteristics.

According to a 2018 report from Khazanah Research Institute, students from low-income families have limited exposure to a wide range of career opportunities, which can limit their ability to make informed decisions about their education and career paths.

With over 2,000 public secondary schools in Malaysia, ensuring counsellors are equipped with information on the latest careers and innovative delivery approaches which engage and inspire students is a key factor in helping students make well-informed decisions regarding their post-SPM journey.

“School counsellors are often the first point of guidance for students navigating their career paths, playing a pivotal role in guiding them as they prepare to take on life after school. By equipping counsellors with the latest tools, information, and skills, they are empowered to better support students in identifying strengths, exploring opportunities, and making informed decisions about the future. This initiative is an investment not only in the counsellors, but in the potential of every student they inspire,” said FINCO CEO Clare Walker.

The Spark training programme is expected to benefit a total of 600 counsellors and 3,000 students by the end of 2025.