The Essential Skills programme started at ULAB from 2020. The impetus for starting the programme came from the feedback we receive from our stakeholders – employers, parents and the students themselves - that our society needs holistic individuals, not just academic experts. In order to function productively for their society and economy, students need to develop some essential skills alongside the academic knowledge they gather from their course of study at university. It has been found by researchers that soft skills like “people skills” or the ability to get along with others can make or break careers. The Essential Skills program also focuses on the individual and his/ her mental health and wellbeing, which is of crucial importance to survive in this fast-paced world.
Under the ''Essential Skills (ESK)'' programme, there are four modules - Study Skills (ESK 1110), Healthy Life Skills (ESK 1111), Social Skills (ESK 1112) and Professional Skills (ESK 1113). Each module consists of 6 topics and in total there are 24 topics. These topics cover a broad range of areas starting from Time Management to Mindfulness; from Anger Management to Money Management. In short, these sessions aim to mold the student into a balanced and well-rounded human being, someone who is well prepared to take on the challenges of this modern world.
Each of the sessions are 80 minutes long. The experienced instructors devise interactive activities for the students for an extremely engaging and informative session. At the end of the session, the students are provided with more reference material which they can explore by themselves to increase their proficiency in that area, as we believe that there is no end to learning, and we want students to also seek out knowledge for themselves.
