Hust, a new skills-based matching platform connecting businesses with students looking for practical work experiences, has officially launched their mobile application in Singapore. As the first student-focused, professional development-centric talent-matching platform in South-East Asia, Hust aims to help students gain the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in their chosen field or interest through project-based work. The platform also offers a new, valuable pipeline for businesses to find young, motivated talent with the specific skills they need to stay competitive in an uncertain and rapidly-changing world.
Founded by a group of university undergraduates who shared a common concern about their career prospects and lack of real-world experiences, Hust was created out of the realisation that many other graduates faced similar challenges. Hence, the platform provides opportunities for students to take up projects consisting of real, immediate pressing problems that businesses are facing, allowing students to gain practical experience outside of school-mandated lectures and internships.
“We were apprehensive about our futures after graduation, feeling underprepared in both hard and soft skills, and unsure about our career paths,” explained Ezra James Ho, Co-Founder and COO of Hust. “We knew we had to take action to bridge this gap, and create a platform that would connect students with practical problem-solving experiences that would prepare them for success in the ever-competitive job market.”
The Hust app features a customised user interface designed for both students and businesses. One of the app’s key features is a unique skills-based matching algorithm that connects students with businesses that have projects or challenges aligned with their interests and skills. This feature helps to ensure that students are matched with the right opportunities to develop their skills and gain practical experience in their desired fields. The app also includes a Project Suite that comprises chats, contracts, project management tools, portfolio previews, payment gateway, and review systems, all in one convenient location. With these tools, students can manage their projects, track their progress, and showcase their work to potential employers, while businesses can easily monitor their projects and provide feedback to their student partners.
“The team strongly believes that Hust will be able to provide more students with a competitive edge as they transition from the lecture hall to the workplace by equipping them with the resilience and adaptability needed in today’s fast-moving workforce,” added Ezra. “Businesses should also recognise the importance of staying at the forefront of their industry and embrace the potential of the emerging workforce, all while maximising efficiency and productivity.”
Hust was initially nurtured in the Alibaba Cloud-SUSS Entrepreneurship Programme and is currently part of the Singapore Management University Business Innovations Generator (BIG) Incubation Programme. The startup is also supported by Enterprise Singapore through the Startup SG Founder Grant. Hust is now focused on enhancing tertiary education and easing students’ transition to the workforce. The next phase of developments aims to incorporate real-world projects into courseworks to provide students with more realistic classroom education.
