Over 13,000 youths take part in Penjana Career Carnival

PUTRAJAYA: A total of 13,246 youths from across the country took part in the virtual Penjana Youth Career Carnival 2020 which was held for three days from November 24, said Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.

He said the special career carnival jointly organised by the Human Resources Ministry (KSM) and Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) aimed to address the unemployment issue, especially involving the youth which has become more serious due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Over 8,300 job vacancies were offered by 26 employers during the carnival. Some 65 candidates were offered jobs instantly when they succeeded in the virtual open interviews while 320 candidates managed to enter the second round of interviews,” he said in a statement here yesterday. Saravanan said besides the open interviews, other activities included five career webinars by employers' representatives and professionals, focusing on current job opportunities, career preparation and employability, which gathered over 3,300 participants.

“The virtual carnival aims to help unemployed Malaysian youth to attend job interviews and secure a job with government initiatives even though some states are currently placed under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO),” he said.

Citing data from the Social Security Organisation (Socso) Employment Insurances System (EIS), Saravanan said as of Nov 20, a total of 19,396 or over 62 per cent of workers who lost their jobs were from among the youth, the majority of them aged between 25 and 29.