SOLUTIONS TO JOBLESS GRADS IN MALAYSIA

Profiling and Job Matching: Solution to Jobless Graduates’ Issue
I read with interest both comments from V.K.Chin and PROF DR MORSHIDI SIRAT on the issue of jobless graduates in Malaysia. The lethargic situation of the related issue that I called “the Mismanagement of Human Capital Competencies” had been in the public and academic debates for so many years and the much-awaited solutions have been delayed to a point where it is becoming more paradoxical rather than pragmatic. Instead of blaming the employers and the universities for the predicament of the current 80,000 unemployed graduates, it is better to put our professional and intellectual capacities into a logical plan of doing profiling and job matching for the available jobs and also objective assessment for the jobless graduates. Let me refer to the diagram below and walk through on each action plan:
First and foremost the employers must come out with the exact job specifications or patterns required for the positions available at their respective outfits by performing job analysis or profiling. These job specifications are captured in the database and stored in the central job data bank managed by a public authority body under Ministry of Human Resources or NEAC. Next step is to assess the jobless graduates’ employability competencies using a web-based assessment system that is assessable to them anywhere 24/7 and this has to be supervised by appointed expertise sanctioned by the authority. The final step is to job match both the job requirements or patterns and the assessment results of the jobless graduates in order to establish the most suitable candidates for the positions advertised or available.
The above idea is not knew as Dato Mustapa Mohamed had mentioned about it about three years ago and a consultant was appointed to perform the scheme. In fact in was reported in the Star paper about this proposal. Let us forget about the issue of the jobless graduates not meeting the K-worker competencies required by the K-management employers in the so-called K-economy! What is required to be done now is the analysis of all jobs available in the job market that are suitable for the jobless graduates and perform a nationwide assessment of all the jobless graduates to match with those jobs identified. If this proposal can be carried out objectively without any political innuendos or self-interest prejudices, I am very sure that the unemployed graduates’ issue in Malaysia can be reduced to a minimal level. Let us also forget about the proposal for EPU and/or the Human Resources Ministry to produce a long-term HRD plan and also just push aside temporarily the issue of the perceived serious gaps in the higher education system as we had enough plans being assigned to various parties and almost RM400 million spent so far for retraining of jobless graduates but none show any realistic results. In fact, as V.K.Chin appropriately said, it is worthwhile to find out the employers’ demands first. In other words, what exactly do the job market wants from the graduates or the higher education system?

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Devise a HR development plan
Wednesday March 16, 2005

IN his Comment, V.K. Chin refers to the Economic Planning Unit’s study on the reasons for graduate unemployment in Malaysia, “Need to plug the gaps in higher education system”, (The Star, March 14).
An equally comprehensive study on graduate unemployment was undertaken by the National Institute for Higher Education Research at Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang in 2003.
The institute subsequently produced a shorter monograph, Pencapaian akademik dan kebolehgunaan tenaga siswazah institusi pengajian tinggi, which is a detailed statistical analysis of the data collected for the unemployment study.
The institute’s study, different from the many other studies on graduate unemployment, has a section on the psychological attributes of graduates.
We have made it very clear of the need for a government-universities-industries collaboration in our report. Many universities work closely with the industries and have subsequently established a formal university-industry collaborative framework.
The universities have acted upon many of the report’s recommendations. For instance, many have established student career development units and many have introduced entrepreneurship elements in their courses for we believe graduates should create jobs for themselves (and others too) rather than look for jobs.
Many universities are working on equipping their graduates with the various skills, like the ability to communicate in English, required by the industry.
Our study has also identified other factors that need to be considered: the economy; and the transformation and shift in employment and job structure.
As noted by Chin, the curriculum review process is “painfully slow” because of several impediments.
It would help greatly if the Government formulated a comprehensive Human Resources Development Plan.
Universities cannot afford to review their curriculum based on feedback from a very small section of the industry or private sector, which plan their human resources needs on a very short-term basis.
The EPU and/or the Human Resources Ministry have to produce this long-term plan soon. Unless there is such a plan it is very difficult for universities to work out their next strategy to produce “what is required by the nation and globally”.

PROF DR MORSHIDI SIRAT,
Director,
National Institute for Higher Education Research,
Universiti Sains Malaysia,
Penang.
(via e-mail)
Need to plug the gaps in higher education system
Monday March 14, 2005

COMMENTBy V.K. CHIN
THE in-depth study by the Economic Planning Unit will be a useful guide in determining the reasons for the high unemployment of graduates, which is of concern to the Government and public.
One area of study is to find out whether the local tertiary institutions are conducting the right courses as this will have a significant impact on their graduates’ employment prospects.
Naturally if the new graduates do not meet the market requirements, then it will be tough for them to be employed.
This is therefore an important factor for the EPU to consider.
Based on the unemployment statistics of fresh graduates, it is very clear that something is amiss and that their training is not in keeping with market needs.
Otherwise, there should be no difficulty for such graduates who are supposed to be absorbed by both the public and private sectors easily.
So a solution will have to be found to address this serious situation.
It is unhealthy for tens of thousands of new graduates to be jobless for months, if not years, because their qualifications are not what the employers are looking for.
There are some serious gaps in the higher education system that will need to be plugged before things worsen. Otherwise it is both a waste of manpower and demoralising to the graduates concerned.
To make them more marketable, the Government has to provide remedial courses to these graduates so that it will be easier for them to fit into the job market.
The Higher Education Ministry has been asked by the Cabinet to discuss with the vice-chancellors of public universities to review the courses offered by their institutions.
While this matter has been looked into a year or two ago, the progress has been painfully slow.
It is understandable that it will take some time to restructure some of the courses but then there is not much time before people lose their patience and confidence in the universities.
It is worth repeating that there should be more consultations between the universities and the private sector as the academic world must understand the actual needs of employers.
It will be a waste of time, money and resources if the universities should keep on churning out graduates whose qualifications are not up to the mark, especially by the private sector.
While the Government will be able to absorb some of the graduates, the bulk of them will have to be recruited by the private sector. So it is worthwhile to find out your customers’ demands first.