20,000 jobless graduates are in for a boost

The Penjana KPT-CAP programme has just been granted RM100mil to help improve youth marketability, just like the Smart Trucker course, says Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Some 20,000 graduates are expected to benefit from the Penjana KPT-CAP programme, says Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Noraini Ahmad.

The programme, which stands for National Economic Revival Plan (Penjana) Higher Education Ministry-Career Advancement Programme (KPT-CAP), has been granted RM100mil out of the RM35bil Penjana initiative.

The programme offers graduates jobs in the banking, information and communications technology and manufacturing sectors.

Through upskilling and reskilling initiatives, Penjana KPT-CAP aimed to reduce the unemployment rate among graduates while improving their skills, said Noraini.

“Penjana KPT-CAP comprises three programmes; job matching and placement, continuous entrepreneurship programme and gig economy.

“All three programmes are part of the government’s commitment to produce entrepreneurial, quality, competitive and committed graduates.

“So far, a total of 140 programmes (under these initiatives) have been planned involving more than 100 companies,” she said during the launch of Penjana KPT-CAP at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) yesterday.

Job matching and placement, she added, would upskill graduates according to industry needs and help them secure jobs with companies that have given their guarantee through a letter of commitment.

“Through the continuous entrepreneurship programme, graduates will be financially assisted by accredited agencies to establish their companies, in addition to receiving lessons to sharpen their entrepreneurial skills.

“The gig economy programme will help graduates earn income through freelancing activities,” she added.

Separately, Noraini said the ministry was expecting 116,161 unemployed graduates in the job market this year, according to the ministry’s Graduate Tracer Study 2019.

“This is inclusive of 41,161 graduates from last year who are unemployed,” she added.

Of the 300,000 students who were expected to graduate this year, she said at least 75,000 might find themselves in a quandary in their job search six months upon graduating considering the impact of Covid-19.

“We must give them the necessary attention to improve their skills,” she said, adding that the ministry had submitted its suggestion to the Economic Planning Unit to continue the MyBrain15 programme.

Final-year UKM political science student Muhammad Zamri Maddimunri said as thousands of students and graduates faced uncertain times, it was a relief to receive such assistance from the government.

“This programme is timely as it provides us with a platform to find work after graduating,” said the 22-year-old, who planned on joining the gig economy programme.

Foo Tzen Fung, 21, said the KPTCAP programme helped him feel more confident about his future.

The second-year UKM law student said he planned to join the job matching and placement programme.

Second-year UKM economy management student Nur Aireen Natasha Hashim, 21, already owns a business online selling perfumes.

Through KPT-CAP’s continuous entrepreneurship programme, she hopes to upskill herself as an entrepreneur.

“As students, my friends and I are worried about the job market. An initiative like this is a relief to many of us,” she added.