Measuring Student Perceptions and Engagement in University-Industry Experiential Learning: A Case Study of the Jelajah CEO @Faculty FGV 2026

Abstract

In contemporary higher education, the disconnect between academic curricula and evolving corporate demands poses a persistent pedagogical challenge in cultivating 21st-century workforce competencies. To evaluate the efficacy of executive-led academic interventions, this paper examines the Jelajah CEO@Faculty FGV 2026 programme a multi-campus university-industry initiative deployed across Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) branches. The curriculum bridged theoretical learning with corporate pragmatism by integrating executive mentorship, resume clinics, and human resource mock interview simulations designed to sharpen interpersonal communication, collaboration, and career literacy. Adopting a quantitative action-research methodology, this study analyses empirical post-programme evaluation data from undergraduate participants across the Central Zone and Southern Zone. Findings reveal an overwhelmingly positive shift in student engagement and self-perceived skill acquisition. Experiential components specifically real-time HR simulations significantly amplified students' perceived understanding of industry realities (95.4%) and curricular relevance (94.9%), with 97.6% expressing intent to join future interventions. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that structured corporate immersive programmes serve as vital catalysts for developing 21st-century skills by demystifying workforce expectations. The paper concludes with an actionable operational framework for higher education administrators to scale and sustain executive-led mentorship models for future-ready graduates.