CM assures graduates on jobs
KOTA KINABALU: The government wants to ensure that students will be able to secure jobs once they have graduated.
Both the state and federal governments are spending millions to build infrastructures that would attract both local and foreign investors to open up industries and invest in the state, said Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman during the 1Malaysia Training Scheme (SL1M) open interview held at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) yesterday.
He said the setting up of new industries and factories will create more job opportunities for youths in Sabah.
“This is the effort we are undertaking so our children will not be disappointed after they finish their studies,” he said.
He also noted that thousands of students graduated from universities and schools annually. Unfortunately, work opportunities were limited, he said.
“We will endeavour to ensure that our graduates will have a job,” he said.
He added that the SL1M is one of the means the government has adopted to ensure graduates would be able to find employment.
Musa urged graduates seeking employment not to be picky on the choice of work, especially during the economic slowdown.
“Just take up the opportunity and then improve and move from there to a higher level,” he said.
He said agropreneurship is one of the sectors that provides employment opportunities for youths in Sabah.
“We provide land and encourage our youth to venture into agropreneurship. Nowadays, agriculture is also a business and can bring wealth,” he said.
He also urged the industries to open their doors widely to welcome the graduates to work for them under the SL1M initiative.
The two-day outreach programme was organized with the hope of linking unemployed graduates to prospective employers of the more than 3,000 training and employment opportunities, said the Director-General of the Economic Planning Unit in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Dr Rahamat Bivi Yusoff.
She said that since 2011, the programme has helped more than 71,000 graduates secure jobs and improve their competitiveness in building their careers to meet the requirements of the industries.
Rahamat called on the graduates not to be picky in the selection of jobs that were available.
“Grab the opportunities that are available and then improve yourself from there. After gaining some experience, you can then look for other opportunities,” she advised.
She also urged the graduates to give the prospective employers their full attention and to convince them that they are the right candidates for the vacancies.
At the same time, Rahamat also urged prospective employers not to judge the graduates by their appearances and to provide them with the opportunity to show their true capabilities.
“EPU has endeavored to bring the companies here and we hope you will not let go of the opportunities that are presented here,” she said.
On the large turn-up to the event, Rahamat said it signified how strongly the youths here want to help themselves.
“Grab the opportunity. Help yourself for the good of all, your family and your community,” she said.