Poor communication skills, English among reasons graduates unemployed

KOTA KINABALU: Graduates are unemployed not because they have failed to gain a diploma or a degree.

It is because of their poor communication skills, lack of proficiency in the English language and failure to check the type of jobs that are being sought after in the job market, said Assistant Education and Innovation Minister Jenifer Lasimbang.

She said she had spoken to the industry players who had informed that they were unhappy with the graduates’ poor communication skills and poor proficiency in English.

“They hope that we can do more in the communication and English proficiency of our graduates,” she said.

She also stressed the importance of talking to industry players to see what their needs are.

“We are not here to limit our graduates as to their field in which they should study but there is a need to be practical where jobs supply is concerned,” she said.

She added that it is important to be able to match the needs of the industry.

Jenifer also said that although the government wants to keep the local graduates in Sabah, it does not have a choice but export them to where jobs are available for them if there are no demands for their expertise here.

“The long-term solution is to get them back to work in Sabah. We need to create jobs and intensify our industry.”