Time to address labour market shortages

Malaysia has to tackle jobs mismatch by focusing on critical occupations.

WHAT skills do you need to become a sought-after employee in Malaysia’s current labour market?

Well, according to the Critical Occupations List, what’s in demand are communication skills, English language proficiency and problem solving expertise. The country is also in need of more electric and electronic engineers, early childhood educators, finance managers, chemists, manufacturing professionals and software developers among others.

The 2018/2019 Critical Occupations List (COL) highlights 59 middle- and high-skilled occupations that are sought-after, strategic and in high demand.

The COL keeps abreast of changing labour market demands associated with new technologies, automation and Industry 4.0. It was

developed by agencies under the Human Resources Ministry and in collaboration with the World Bank.

On Sept 12, the World Bank released its “Monitoring Occupational Shortages: Lessons from Malaysia’s Critical Occupations List” report, a case study of the COL.

While most people would assume that skills in artificial intelligence (AI) and big data are in demand, many are not aware that traditional skills like welding are also highly sought after, said Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran at the report’s launch in Putrajaya.

“There are a lot of people who do not realise how important it is to acquire these skills, which are easily available in institutes under the Human Resources Ministry,” he said, explaining that there are many success stories of those with traditional skills earning

lucrative incomes.

“Many Malaysians treat these skills as a last-choice job. This is a mindset that has to change,” he said.

The COL is updated and released yearly by the Critical Skills Monitoring Committee which is jointly chaired by human capital development agency TalentCorp and the Institute of Labour Market Information and Analysis under the Human Resources Ministry. It was created in 2015 to identify labour market shortages.

“The Mid-Term Review of the 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-2020) accords the COL a central place in Malaysia’s labour market development,” said Kulasegaran.

“By identifying labour market needs as they arise, the COL becomes a powerful policy tool that can be used by governments, the private sector, academia, job creators and job seekers alike.”