NILAI: The Higher Education Ministry will step up engagement sessions with industry players to ensure Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates stand better chances of getting jobs in the private sector.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said his ministry was aware of the problems TVET graduates faced in getting job placements in the private sector.
He said the government had, through several ministries, engaged with industry players in a bid to ascertain what skillsets were most needed by the private sector.
"We need to approach industry players (and find out) what they need. Let's not simply accuse them of not wanting to hire TVET graduates.
"What is most important is we need to approach this together, and to this end, the government has decided that certain ministries will work together (with the private sector).
"This involves (my ministry), the International Trade and Industry Ministry, the Human Resources Ministry and the Economy Ministry.
"Alhamdulillah, we have already held a meeting involving all the ministers to figure out the fields (which we will need to focus on) based on requests from industry players," he told reporters after opening the Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia Language Studies Faculty building.
Present were ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Zaini Ujang and USIM Vice Chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Sharifudin Md Shaarani.
Zambry was commenting on a Berita Harian front page report that there was a large percentage of private companies which were still "lacking in awareness" in regards to hiring TVET graduates.
The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) had, in a poll of 262 private companies, found that only 39.6 per cent had hired TVET graduates.
Elaborating, Zambry said vocational training programmes at community colleges were different from those offered at polytechnics, but graduates of the latter had better chances of being hired.
In fact, up to 97 per cent will be hired upon graduation, he added.
Zambry acknowledged that what was often discussed was the difficulty faced by graduates who hold degrees in securing jobs in the private sector.
He said this was due to several factors, including additional requirements needed by employers in order for the graduates to be employed.
"For example, in the field of engineering, universities require some added value to the programmes offered.
"In the field of microchips, for instance, we need engineering skills and when they (graduates) want to enter certain companies, they need these additional requirements.
"But basically, they already possess the skills, so we (universities) need to provide these additional requirements (so that it is easier for them to gain employment). This is what we are discussin," he said.
