Founder's Message
Welcome to MILLS™ Skills, where we are dedicated to empowering the youth of today and nurturing their leadership potential for tomorrow. As the founder of this social enterprise, I have always believed that education should be a journey of self-discovery, enabling students to discover their true gifts and potential. Having served in various capacities, from a war veteran to the Vice Chancellor at the University of the Punjab, I have always worked towards transformative leadership and sustainable growth.
In my tenure at the University, I spearheaded initiatives that brought technological advancements and capacity building to the forefront, which have left a lasting impact on thousands of students. At MILLS Skills, we aim to continue this legacy by fostering a learning environment where school children, university students, and faculty can explore and develop the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
I am particularly passionate about integrating Dr. Allama Iqbal’s profound work into the school curriculum to inspire students not just in academics, but also in cultivating their own social and cultural consciousness. As we focus on co-curricular innovation through initiatives like campus internships, problem-solving, and experiential learning, MILLS Skills stands at the forefront of creating a new wave of leaders equipped with the cognitive and behavioral tools they need to succeed.
We invite you to join us in this exciting journey of learning, growth, and self-discovery.
Lt. Gen. Arshad Mahmood (Retd.), HI(M), SJ
“We are committed to developing indigenous tools that empower our youth to unlock their potential, build leadership, and master problem-solving skills essential for shaping a brighter tomorrow.”
Co-founder's Message
At MILLS™ Skills, we believe co-curricular activities must be integrated as a community engagement and development platform, with a Shared Vision and Committed Consensus around them. I academic development must be supplemented by campus activations which foster team leadership, collective problem-solving, and life skills critical to succeed in our rapidly changing environment.
With over 20 years of experience in diverse leadership roles across industries, I’ve seen firsthand the impact that comprehensive, skills-focused learning can have on individuals and organizations. This belief drives our mission at MILLS™ to offer innovative co-curricular programs designed to empower students to discover their potential, connect with their communities, and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.
We are particularly passionate about the Holistic Learning—an educational approach that supplements traditional classroom learning with nurturing or Tarbiyah to develop whole-humans (kāmil Insān). By incorporating engaging online and experiential pedagogical approaches, we aim to cultivate not only self-consciousness and social-consciousness but also God-consciousness, preparing students to become righteous problem solvers and compassionate leaders.
Through initiatives like the Young Leaders Program, On-campus Internships and School Counsellor Workshops, we provide school communities with the tools to develop learning, leadership and success skills that will serve them for years to come.
Omayer Arshad
Co-Founder, MILLS™ Skills
“At MILLS™ Skills, we are committed to empowering school communities with the tools to measure and improve their team leadership, collective problem-solving and self-discovery, integrating students and faculty within our school activations.”
Why Choose MILLS™?
Traditional classroom methods are no longer sufficient to prepare students for the challenges of 21st century. We aim to revolutionise education by integrating academic learning with co-curricular, to measure and develop learning skills, team leadership and collective problem-solving. Our programs provide students with the tools they need to understand their strengths, enhance their cognitive and behavioral skills, and prepare for future careers. We are committed to bridging the gap between knowledge and practical application, empowering students to lead, innovate, and make a positive impact in their communities.
In Pakistan, grades or CGPA are often used as the only measure to judge a student’s academic or a candidate’s real-world potential. While grades are important, they often don’t reflect the true potential to learn and apply, beyond classroom setting. Grades or CGPA represent Retention of Knowledge domain or how much an individual can memorize. On the other hand, Application of Knowledge domain, includes skill-sets like cognitive, behavioral, and problem-solving, which are often overlooked and not measured or developed as drivers of an individual’s Potential. Cognitive and Behavioral skill-sets combine to form Learning Skills. While Problem-solving skill-set is offered as upskilling workshops to complete Application of Knowledge domain.
The Challenge
Cognitive skill-set or ability-mix comprises of creative thinking and critical thinking skills. Leadership skill-set, also called Behavioral ability-mix, includes communication skills (building shared goals), and collaboration skills (delivering shared goals). Both Cognitive and Behavioral skill-sets combine to form Learning Skills. Success skills on the other hand contains a diverse set of skills used to successfully apply learning skills toward collective problem-solving.
Cognitive skills can be measured through online assessments, while Behavioral skills assessment requires a blended assessment methodology, i.e. online and experiential. Measuring these skill-sets can help assess and index a student, candidate or cohort’s Learning skills.
Success skills on the other hand are the over-lay desired to objectively identify and design potential solutions toward collective problem-solving. Which help develop a unified language and a research-oriented, data-driven approach to problem solving within teams.
Application of Knowledge
At MILLS™, we are committed to gathering assessment data on Learning and Leadership Skills as a measure of estimated Current Potential, which can be read alongside grades or CGPAs to map and segment talent. As we focus on measuring a student’s cognitive, behavioral and overall problem-solving abilities to foster growth beyond traditional grading systems. Our goal is to equip students with the skills they need to excel beyond academic careers, helping them develop a holistic understanding of their potential by working in teams on campus-based micro-projects as Internships, augmented by engaging faculty development workshops dovetailing Tarbiyah Curriculum with LEGO® Pedagogy to increase community ownership and problem-solving focus.
The Commitment
What does MILLS™ Skills stand for?
MILLS™ (Multi-dimensional Intelligences, Learning, Leadership and Success Skills) is a research-driven social-enterprise focused on helping design and test blended interventions to measure and map potential beyond grades. We continue to research, design and develop culturally sensitive and socially relevant tools that empower students to discover their cognitive and behavioral mix, while working on community problems as teams. Through structured self-assessments, peer-feedback and faculty engagements, we provide students with a holistic approach to self-discovery while working on real-world problems.
Our process integrates blended assessment and engaging pedagogy, to ensure that students gain deep insights into their cognitive and behavioral mix while working on community problems. As a by-product of this process they can take informed decisions toward subject selection and career alignment, helping find best fit for their future success.
Why MILLS?
MILLS™ co-curricular engagements address the ever-growing challenge students face in elimination or selection of right-fit subjects and/or career choices. Other than grades as an indicator, parents perception of future career paths and student’s consideration-set, there are no objective platforms designed to help students navigate through a fast-changing careers landscape.
Our structured Blended Assessment Tools, create a distinctive, data-driven approach to indirectly approaching self-discovery through a fun and competitive co-curricular platform. We are not all about assessment and evaluation, our co-curricular engagements help students and faculty develop leadership competencies, refine decision-making skills, and assess potential beyond grades to benchmark against peers.
Our detailed reports and guidance empower students to take ownership of their futures, instead of simply making decisions for them. This approach not only helps students eliminate some of the career options but also supports connecting their cognitive and behavioral profiles with those desired in their careers of choice.
Context
Belief
Approach
Vision
Mission
Promise
Logo
Four Ps
Our Context
In today’s dynamic world, education is evolving beyond traditional classroom methods and grades. At MILLS™, we recognize that true potential lies in a student’s ability to apply knowledge and demonstrate essential skills. Our programs go beyond rote learning by integrating academic instruction with co-curricular activities that foster problem-solving, leadership, and social-emotional intelligence. We equip students with the tools to understand their strengths, enhance their cognitive and behavioral skills, and prepare for future careers. By bridging the gap between knowledge and practical application, we empower students to lead, innovate, and make a positive impact in their communities. This aligns with our vision of measuring Current Estimated Potential via a holistic assessment framework that goes beyond grades to recognize a student or candidate’s true capabilities.
Our Belief
We believe in developing Whole Humans (Kāmil Insān) by integrating structured co-curricular platforms that dovetail Nurturing (Tarbiyah) with Education (Ta’leem). Our core belief rests on the need to create tools and interventions that help our academic communities explore student potential beyond grades. Our society’s reliance or growing obsession with grades as the primary indicator of success must be counter-balanced by a curriculum that values application of knowledge and development of unique skill layers. MILLS™’s approach aims to foster Self-consciousness, Social-consciousness, and God-consciousness within faculty and students to impact learning within classrooms and toward collective problem-solving.
Our Approach & Methodologies
At MILLS™ Skills, we combine traditional educational frameworks with modern, experiential learning techniques to create a dynamic and impactful learning environment. Our methodologies are grounded in the principles of:
- Cognitive and Behavioral Profiling: We assess students’ cognitive abilities, critical thinking, creativity, and behavioral skills through proven tools and techniques, allowing them to gain deeper insights into their strengths and areas for growth.
- Experiential Learning: Using hands-on, project-based activities like LEGO® Serious Play™ and business games, students engage in real-world problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership challenges, learning through experience rather than theoretical knowledge alone.
- Tarbiyah (Holistic Development): Inspired by the Qur’an and Sunnah, we incorporate values-driven education into our programs to help students develop not only intellectually but also emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
- Self-Directed Learning: Our programs encourage students to take ownership of their learning through self-assessments, peer evaluations, and goal-setting, enabling them to chart their own path to success.
- Community Engagement: We use real-world problems to engage students, fostering social responsibility and encouraging collaborative efforts to solve challenges in their communities.
Our Vision
Our vision is to supplement education by offering blended learning and development platform which offers problem-based learning and experiential pedagogy. For school students, we aim to guide them toward discovering their cognitive and behavioral profiles, helping them connect their skills with future career possibilities, rather than just subjects tied to grades. For university students, we strive to enhance employability by assessing skills through assessment centers, helping students find jobs that align with their strengths. Ultimately, our vision is to empower students with the knowledge of themselves and the skills to solve real-world problems.
Our Mission
Our mission is to drive educational reform by creating co-curricular interventions that bridge the gap between academic learning and experiential learning. By providing structured tools and frameworks, we help students develop leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork abilities through fun and competitive activities. Through our Tarbiyah Curriculum, we aim to cultivate a generation of future leaders who are equipped to navigate both societal and professional challenges.
Our Promise
We promise to provide each student with a comprehensive, holistic profile through our online and experiential assessments, benchmarked against age and grade standards. This process helps connect students with career opportunities and fosters critical skills like problem-solving and team leadership. By understanding each student’s unique abilities, we ensure they are guided toward paths that align with their strengths and aspirations.
Our Logo
MILLS logo symbolizes enlightened growth and empowerment. Enlightened growth is represented by ‘light bulb’ shape. Blue color represents ‘blue sky’, usually associated with limitless possibilities or as they say ‘sky is the limit’. Two borders represent our influencing groups that either limit our options or help us move beyond our perceived limitations. Growth (which in this case are our future possibilities) is represented by the ‘tree trunk’. Each tree trunk is unique like our finger-prints and represents our conditioning, potentials abilities and aptitudes.
Four Ps
In the absence of structured tools to assess a student’s abilities and potential, decision-making around subjects or career choices often relies on an influencer group: parents, peers/siblings, professors, and pupil. Each of these influencers can play a critical role in guiding a student’s decisions, though often through subjective models.
- Parents: Parents mostly guide their children through outside-in approach, using successful career paths and/or social networks as proxies for prospective career choices.
- Peers: Peers often indirectly or directly influence career and subject choices, either by sharing their own interests or by actively suggesting directions.
- Professors: While not always directly involved, teachers can provide valuable insights into potential abilities through classroom observations and evaluations, beyond grades.
- Pupil: Student’s self-awareness is critical. A structured and objective process can help align their decisions with their true estimated potential, beyond subject grades.
