Future for learning in universities

THE Education Ministry’s Graduate Tracer Study shows that 30,765 or 59.9% of our 51,365 graduates have been unemployed for more than one year.

The Budget 2020 Malaysians@ Work initiative, where graduates who secure a job after being unemployed for more than a year will receive RM500 per month from the government for two years and employers will also receive a hiring incentive of up to RM300 per month for each new hire over two years, would help as a temporary measure to solve the problem of graduate unemployment.

More important is the need to reduce the gap, as shown by TalentCorp’s research, in the mismatch between our fresh graduates’ skills and those required by employers. To do this, universities and students should look at the Critical Occupations List and top associated skills to enhance their courses and employability respectively.

A trend to note is that our young graduates will be disproportionately impacted by automation, which will affect entry-level jobs more than higher-level positions.

Given that we know where the future of work is heading and the challenges involved, it is critical that our varsities focus on not just academic studies but also on programmes that incorporate more work experience. Internship or project learning, exposure to different industries, mentoring and good English skills should be part of such programmes.

Varsities should also focus on developing other skills such as creativity and critical thinking.

SZE LOONG STEVE NGEOW Kajang