KOTA KINABALU – The Wisdom Foundation has called for a reform of the education and work placement systems to address issues such as labour supply and increasing unemployment.
The Sabah-based think tank’s executive director Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau in a statement today said the main reason for the high jobless rate currently is the country’s policy prioritising academic achievements over ensuring career-ready students.
“Malaysian fresh graduates have increased from 300,000 to 350,000, but high-skilled jobs are lacking, with many job applications rejected due to (the applicants being) overqualified.
“At the same time, unemployment is on the rise because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Statistics Department recorded 728,100 unemployed individuals in Malaysia in May, with 328,100 of them being youth.
“In this situation, 580,000 businesses in Malaysia, comprising 49% of the micro, small and medium enterprises sector, are at risk of closure by October.”
Instead of fully utilising a Malaysian workforce, he said, the country continues to depend on migrant labour.
This decreases opportunities for local youth without a tertiary education to take on low-skilled jobs, he said.
“The federal government must restructure the education system to ensure more youth are capable of earning a livelihood.
“They must also identify job sectors in Malaysia that require more labour, and encourage students to take these career routes to meet the nation’s demands.”
Madius, who is also Tuaran MP, suggested that Putrajaya award scholarships according to sector, to help fill employment gaps while avoiding job redundancies, pointing to the woes faced by education and medical graduates.
“It is the government’s duty to protect the future of our nation.” – The Vibes, July 15, 2021
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