On Tuesday, 10 February 2026, a discussion meeting was held between the Huffaz Leadership Program, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and the National Youth Skills Institute (Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara – IKBN) Peretak to explore strategic collaboration opportunities in the areas of skills development and professional image building.
The discussion focused on empowering Huffaz students through exposure to practical skills that have the potential to become sustainable sources of income, while simultaneously strengthening their self-confidence and professional image as future leaders.
One of the key highlights of the meeting was the concept of skills as a source of income, where students are encouraged to develop and commercialise selected skills in an ethical and sustainable manner. Among the high-demand skills proposed were haircutting and barbering skills, as well as barista skills.
In addition, an initiative was proposed, involving the implementation of short-term courses for all students. This initiative aims to enhance students’ personal appearance, self-confidence and professional interaction skills. Proposed courses include:
- Short-term haircutting and barbering courses
- Grooming and personal care courses.
The meeting also discussed the implementation of a Grooming and Personal Care Programme for both male and female students. For male students, the programme will focus on basic grooming and professional image development. For female students, the modules will cover skincare from the basic level up to appropriate make-up techniques. Overall, the programme will emphasise three key elements, namely appearance, self-confidence and professional ethics.
From an implementation perspective, the meeting addressed programme costs and funding strategies. Among the proposed approaches were cost optimisation and the preparation of a special proposal to be submitted to the relevant ministries. Several potential funding sources were identified, including:
- Funding from the Ministry of Youth and Sports,
- State-level youth and sports funding, and
- International youth funding,
as well as financial support for future initiatives, including the organisation of conferences under the Huffaz Leadership Program.
This strategic collaboration between the Huffaz Leadership Program, International Islamic University Malaysia and the National Youth Skills Institute (IKBN) Peretak is aspire to support the holistic development of Huffaz students, in leadership, character building, employability and career readiness.
