At Skills Builder Partnership, we’re constantly inspired by the incredible work our partners do to embed essential skills in impactful, scalable ways. This month, we’re excited to spotlight Project ID—a youth development organisation based in Malaysia—and their Senior Associate, Shamin Ballazi, a recent participant in the Global Impact Fellowship.
Shamin’s journey exemplifies how a structured approach to building essential skills, paired with innovative programme design, can drive real-world change in education and student well-being.
Introducing Project ID: Building Leaders, One Skill at a Time
Project ID is known for its commitment to empowering students through holistic development. As a Senior Associate, Shamin plays a key role in coordinating programmes, engaging with students, and measuring impact. His favourite part? Working directly with students across all age groups—from primary schools to universities—and seeing their growth firsthand.
“I find the most fulfilment in engaging directly with students and witnessing their development firsthand.”
Project ID’s mission aligns closely with the Universal Framework: building essential skills in a clear, measurable way that supports long-term success.
The Partnership
Amirul first discovered Skills Builder Partnership through his team at Project ID, who were already enthusiastic about the Universal Framework’s potential to enhance their programmes. Seeking a structured, evidence-based approach to embedding essential skills, Shamin found that the scaffolded steps of the Universal Framework provide the perfect foundation.
“The clearly scaffolded nature of the Essential Skills made them easy to contextualise for our students.”
Shamin joined the Global Impact Fellowship to deepen this knowledge, refine his skills, and connect with a global community of impact leaders.
Global Impact Fellowship: From Learning to Leading
Throughout the Fellowship, Shamin engaged in collaborative discussions with participants from across the world, gaining new perspectives and practical insights. While his primary goal was to strengthen his Speaking and Listening skills, the programme naturally supported his growth in other essential areas, especially Planning and Teamwork.
“Every meeting offered fresh inspiration—from the dedication of other Fellows to the exchange of practical strategies.”
These skills would soon prove invaluable as Project ID launched its 2025 programme for students: EMPOWER Rakan.
EMPOWER Rakan: Empowering Student Mental Health Advocates
During the Fellowship, Shamin and his team were in the planning stages of EMPOWER Rakan, a three-phase capacity-building programme designed to train student leaders as peer mental health advocates. Recognising the opportunity to align with Universal Framework 2.0, Project ID strategically embedded essential skills into the programme’s core design.
“We restructured our modules to align with Impact Level 3, embedding essential skills like Listening, Teamwork, and Planning.”
Here’s how it works:
- MOOC Phase: Students complete self-paced online modules, featuring clearly defined skill steps from the Universal Framework, reflective exercises, and practical activities to build confidence and capability.
- Bootcamp Phase: A selected group of 100 students join a dynamic upskilling camp to collaborate with peers, share experiences, and deepen their learning.
- School-Wide Initiatives: Equipped with new skills, students lead mental health awareness campaigns in their schools, creating ripple effects of positive change throughout their communities.
By integrating Skills Builder principles, Project ID redesigned its modules to ensure students not only learn essential skills but also actively apply them in real-world contexts.
A Lasting Impact
For Shamin, the Global Impact Fellowship has had a profound influence—not just on his personal development, but on how he approaches programme design.
“The Fellowship helped sharpen my skills in planning and communication—skills that directly improved our programme delivery.”
Moving forward, Project ID plans to integrate the Universal Framework into all of its future initiatives, building a consistent, skills-first approach across the organisation.
Advice for Future Fellows
Shamin offers this advice to future Fellowship applicants:
“Join with an open mind, come prepared, and really listen. Everyone brought unique perspectives, and I learned something valuable from each of them.”
Skills Builder Partnership are proud to work with partners like Project ID, who are committed to embedding essential skills and creating meaningful, sustainable impact in their communities.
To learn more about the EMPOWER Rakan programme and how Skills Builder supports organisations worldwide, visit www.skillsbuilder.org/international
