Malaysia addresses skills mismatch to boost employment

Skills mismatch is a critical problem, especially among first-generation graduates, said HR Minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan.
By: | August 5, 2022
Topics: Malaysia | News | Recruitment | Talent Management

Speaking at the Dewan Rakyat, Malaysia’s lower house of the bicameral Parliament, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan highlighted this involves those from families where they are the first generation to graduate as (some) have chosen fields with fewer job opportunities.

“The ministry is trying to increase awareness among parents, especially first-generation graduates, to ensure that they choose fields where there are opportunities,” he added.

Responding to the issue of mismatch in jobs and skills, Saravanan said the ministry has set up reskilling and upskilling programmes to address the issue through the Human Resource Development Corp and Social Security Organisation (Socso).

And on measures to reduce the unemployment rate to pre-pandemic levels, Saravanan said the government’s efforts had brought unemployment rate down to 3.9% in May this year, from a record high of 4.9% in January last year.

“However, the unemployment rate has yet to return to the pre-pandemic level of 3.2%,” he added.

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He said the government has introduced several initiatives, such as Jamin Kerja and Penjana HRDF, to increase labour participation and unemployment rate, according to The Star.