MOHE looks to ensure that the subjects taught in higher educational institutions were based on the latest technology to further increase employability of graduates. – Unsplash
PETALING JAYA: Existing talent gap for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) sector in the country’s job market is being aggressively addressed through comprehensive efforts involving various stakeholders, says the Higher Education Ministry.
Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said that the government is also committed to achieve its goal in producing about 200,000 Malaysian experts in the STEM field, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), by 2030 through cooperations between private companies and government agencies.
He added this move has become more of a priority especially with incoming foreign investments by several tech giants into the country recently.
“With substantial investments from global technology giants such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Infineon, Microsoft, and Intel, the need for a skilled workforce is more pressing than ever.
Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said the government is working on a collaborative effort with various stakeholders to increase STEM talents in Malaysia. (JULY 25 2024) — ART CHEN/The Star (JUNE 26 2024) — ART CHEN/The Star
“These companies require expertise that only a strong STEM foundation can provide,” he told reporters after attending a podcast session with online education provider, Pandai, recently.
Previously, it was reported that global tech giants like Microsoft, AWS, Alibaba, Huawei, Nvidia and Google announced significant investments in Malaysia.
AWS in March confirmed that it intends to invest at least RM25.5bil in the country by 2037 through the setup of a new infrastructure region in Malaysia as part of a public-private partnership with the Malaysian government.
Subsequently, another tech giant, Google has also expressed its commitment to invest RM9.43bil in Malaysia, and build its first data centre and Google Cloud effort in the region.
It was estimated that the regional facility would support over 26,000 jobs across sectors in Malaysia.
In early May, Microsoft committed RM10.4bil over the next four years to develop new cloud infrastructure and enhance artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in the country.
The investment includes AI technical and vocational skills for 200,000 Malaysians through the AI Teach Malaysia programme organised in collaboration with the Asean Foundation and the Biji-biji Initiative.
Mustapha added that to ensure the successful development of a skilled workforce, the ministry has instituted collaborations across various ministries, including the Ministry of Education Malaysia (KPM) and the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI).
“This inter-ministerial effort is designed to create a seamless educational pathway from primary school through university, ensuring students are well-prepared to meet industry standards,” he said.
He also said that the establishment of the Government-Industry TVET Coordination Body (GITC) would help in aligning educational curricula with industry needs through formation of test labs and centres of excellence in higher learning institutions.
He added that GITC has involved 60 professional industry bodies and over 10,000 companies.
“Additionally, leaders from renowned companies such as Petronas, Proton, and Tenaga Nasional Berhad are actively engaging with students to provide real-world insights and experiences through the CEO@Faculty Programme.
“To produce more students with hands-on skills, MOHE has also introduced the “2U2I” programme, which involves students spending two years in university and two years in the industry.
“Furthermore, apprenticeship degrees and hands-on learning modules are being implemented to ensure graduates are job-ready,” he added.
He also said that the MOHE has also been committed to review existing curricula to ensure that they fit the industry needs and are up-to-date.
He said this was made by making sure that the subjects taught in higher educational institutions were based on the latest technology to further increase the employability of graduates.
“According to the figure that we have, a lot of industry players have been waiting for our students to graduate and employ them, with ‘premium wages’.
“Our statistics also show that, graduates from public universities have 93.1% employability rate,” he said, referring to the high demand of graduates in Malaysia.
He added that the founding of Malaysia’s first AI Faculty in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) was a testament to the government’s commitment in producing high quality graduates in technology.
“We have established the first AI Faculty in the country at UTM, which the university will be leading a consortium of different universities called the Malaysia Artificial Intelligence Consortium (MAIC).
“We will make sure that we are ready for more high tech investments in the future and prepare our talents for it,” he added.
In May, the UTM AI Faculty was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to train AI talent with knowledge, skills and competencies in AI and robotics, focusing on drawing local investors and industries.Mustapha added that Malaysia is also learning from other countries, which have successful STEM education, that could help in further boosting the potential of the industry locally.
“Malaysia is benchmarking its programmes against global standards and adapting successful models to fit local needs, such as Germany,” he explained, adding that the European country has adapted a 100% practical and industry-based educational approach.
He added that more studies are being conducted to ensure the overseas models can be adapted into local needs.
“The Academy in Industry (ADI) programme led by the Economy Ministry, which provides purely 100% practical training, would help in supporting our graduates to be more hands-on.
“The programme, which is also in collaboration with the Human Resources Ministry and the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry, would also help in producing ‘express’ talents for the industry,” he added.
Asked about the challenge faced by his ministry in ensuring a higher pool of STEM graduates, Mustapha said that as MOHE is on the receiving end of students from the secondary schools under the Education Ministry (MOE), it was important to ensure that STEM education be instilled from a younger age.He added that this matter is currently being discussed between the ministries, especially in terms of increasing the interests of pupils in STEM.
“When we discuss with the MOE, we aim to ensure that many students from the schools enter the STEM pure science stream.
“At the MOE level, there are various modules in place, and efforts are being made to ensure that the students produced by that ministry meet the requirements set by Central University Admission Unit (UPU), the Malaysian Qualification Authority (MQA), and universities,” he added.
Mustapha also said that the National STEM Association has also initiated several efforts to inspire more children to develop an interest in STEM.
