Way to survive: Many graduates have to resort to doing low-level jobs, such as selling food and drinks, after struggling to find work in their learned fields.
PETALING JAYA: Lack of the proper skills set was why some graduates are working in semi-skilled or low-skilled jobs, say business and human resource groups.
They also said some college and university courses were very “academic” and failed to train young people according to the needs of industries.
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National Association of Human Resources Malaysia president Zarina Ismail said there are fewer vacancies in the market as companies were recovering since the pandemic and were now facing a global economic downturn.
“The number of unemployed has slightly decreased this year, but there have been more blue-collar jobs available in the market compared with white-collar jobs,” Zarina said in an interview.
Based on data from the Statistics Department, the number of unemployed people fell for the 25th consecutive month in August to reach 557,300 from 579,200 in July.
With both public and private higher learning institutions producing about 500,000 graduates each year, Zarina expressed concerns about whether the Malaysian job market could absorb them.
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“In order to land a job so that they can repay their education loans, move on with their lives, or support their families, some graduates resort to taking up low-skilled or semi-skilled jobs.
“Many of them are in the gig industry, taking up temporary jobs, while some take up jobs in clerical or sales services, laundromats, restaurants, fast food joints and others,” she said.
Reiterating the importance of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Zarina said there were very few such courses.
“Many universities still offer unrelated courses that are not in demand in the market... that causes a ‘waste’ of graduates.”
The government, Zarina said, must take the bold step to eliminate any courses that are no longer relevant and prepare future graduates for what the industry needs.
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She also called on the government to reduce the number of expatriates in the country because Malaysia has its own people willing to serve and guide their younger counterparts.
Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) treasurer-general Datuk Koong Lin Loong also stressed the need for the right skill sets to improve graduates’ employability.
“They also must change their mindset and do away with the perception that a college or university certificate is all they need,” he said.
He added that many graduates who ask for a high starting pay should realise that they were new to the job and needed to learn more.
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While some of them take on low-skilled or part-time jobs for “temporary survival”, Koong said they must keep learning and “value-add themselves”.
Koong, who is also the chairman of the ACCCIM SME (small and medium enterprise) committee, suggested that the Malaysian higher education system be revamped to future-proof graduates with the right skills and mindset.
He called on young people to prepare themselves to be “used” positively in the market or risk being redundant.
National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) and Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai said that the jobs currently available are competitive and only those with the right skills and work attitude would be hired.
“There are headcount shortages for low-skilled and labour-intensive jobs or only in the areas of operations where any level of education can easily fit in,” he said.
Soh said that fresh graduates, especially from local universities, lack the required technical skills, problem-solving and soft skills that the industries require.
“We are churning out graduates in areas that are not being sought after by the industry, thus the issue of a mismatch between demand and supply.”
Calling on future graduates to better equip themselves, he said the era of Industrial Revolution 4.0 demanded new work experiences and exposure to digitalisation and automation.
“As such, digital skills such as digital marketing, big data analytics and ecommerce are some of the most highly sought-after skills in the job market,” he said.
