Target achieved: Gala organising committee chairman Lee Jia Cheng (second from left) handing over a mock cheque to Tan (third from right). Also present are (from left) VTAR hairdressing teacher Grace Tan, Ling, and VTAR directors Lim Kit Siong and Kong Yik Khai.
KNOWLEDGE and skills may take one far in life, but a success factor that is just as important is one’s moral fibre.
This emphasis is upheld at VTAR Institute, where both moral and academic excellence are cultivated, said its chief executive officer Tan Cheng Liang.
VTAR, she stressed, is dedicated to guiding students in demonstrating a positive attitude, proactive thinking and high ethical values in the workplace.
“At VTAR, every student is required to participate in charity activities.
“Since 2017 until March this year, students have participated in a total of 77 charity events, including visiting nursing homes and orphanages, caring for disabled children, and providing free haircuts for the Orang Asli.
“To date, students from our Hairdressing Department have provided free haircuts to over 500 people in need,” she noted in a press release.
To help more people in need, the department’s students and alumni jointly organised a charity gala recently to raise funds for the VTAR CSR Fund.
Their effort received positive support from alumni, parents of students and other parties, culminating in the RM10,000 raised, which met the target set.
Johor executive council member and MCA Youth chief Ling Tian Soon, who was a guest at the gala, contributed an additional RM3,000 on the spot, pushing the total amount to RM13,000.
One of the highlights of the gala, held at a hotel in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, was the hairdressing and fashion competition themed around environmental protection.
The students unleashed their creativity, using materials such as newspapers, paper bags and reusable bags to incorporate environmental concepts into their hairstyling. They also designed clothes and accessories for the models.
In addition, the department’s recent graduates collaborated with local fashion designer Vinice Chia to present a fashion and hairstyling show, delivering a visual feast for the audience and winning approval with their hairdressing techniques, styles, craftsmanship and innovative designs.
The event not only showcased the students’ professional skills and creativity but also demonstrated their sense of social responsibility.
In addition, it fostered connections, communication and collaboration among alumni and current students since the department’s inception nine years ago, the press release read.
The evening also saw the awarding of three-phase electrical wiring licences to the first cohort of graduates.
VTAR is the first private vocational college in the country to be accredited by the Malaysian Energy Commission for conducting both single-phase and three-phase electrical wiring training.
With VTAR set to hold its 35th anniversary celebration next year, Tan called for more alumni participation.
She also expressed hope that relevant industries will continue to support VTAR.
