PUTRAJAYA – A total of 13,246 youth from across the country took part in the virtual Penjana Youth Career Carnival 2020, which was held for three days from Tuesday, said Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.
The human resources minister, in a statement today, said the event, jointly organised by his ministry and the Youth and Sports Ministry, aimed to address unemployment among young Malaysians, which has been aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Over 8,300 job vacancies were offered by 26 employers during the carnival. Some 65 candidates were offered jobs on the spot after they passed the virtual interviews, while 320 were selected for a second round of interviews.”
Five webinars by employers’ representatives and professionals were held during the carnival, and saw some 3,300 participants, he said.
“The carnival was aimed at helping unemployed Malaysian youth secure job interviews and employment despite some states being under the conditional movement control order.”
Citing data from the Social Security Organisation’s Employment Insurances System, Saravanan said as of November 20, 19,396 people, or 62% of those who lost their jobs, comprised youth, with the majority of them aged between 25 and 29.
“Based on Youth and Sports Ministry records, the youth unemployment rate has increased to 9%.
“In line with the Youth Empowerment Agenda, the Human Resources, and Youth and Sports Ministries are committed to collaborating on matters pertaining to job opportunities, job creation, skills training, and youth’s access to funding and facilities.” – Bernama, November 29, 2020
