Industry ties will help graduates get high-paying positions

By fortifying relationships with businesses and putting specific well-planned initiatives into place, the Ministry of Higher Education is certain that it is headed in the right direction in raising the proportion of graduates who receive premium salaries of RM4,000 per month.

Through more concentrated and targeted approaches and directly addressing the sector’s needs, its minister, Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin, stated that this was to ensure prospective graduates have the essential skills and industry-oriented.

To produce “industry-ready talent” for the electric and electronics industry, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has initiated a pilot initiative, he said, by establishing a Research and Industry-Infused Incubator under his ministry.

“Approximately 40 graduates have been produced through this project and are earning around RM4,000. Currently, there are about 70 to 80 individuals undergoing training, but the industry’s demand exceeds 200 people and can reach up to 900 individuals.

“USM certainly cannot meet this supply alone,” he told a press conference.

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The higher education ministry and UPM organized the Graduate Job Market Conference, which he presided over earlier. The goal of the conference is to identify and discuss information about future job markets for graduates.

According to Khaled, the ministry and Sirim have also inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that addresses several initiatives, such as TVET, advisory services, quality certification, and associated recognition.

According to the minister, Sirim employs roughly 1,000 recent graduates annually to perform audit work for businesses seeking ISO certification for their Quality Management Systems at a rate of RM1,500 per day.

In response to a question concerning the proportion of graduates receiving a premium wage, he stated that UTM now has 30% of its graduates earning this amount, compared to 10-15% at other universities.

“So the effort to ensure graduates earn premium salaries does not happen automatically. It requires specific and strategic cooperation with the industry,” he said.

He said the higher education ministry created the Graduate Employability Management (GEM) digital platform. It facilitates the application process for internships and jobs for users, particularly graduates under the ministry. It makes it simpler for employers to find candidates who fit the requirements.

The conference’s purpose was also to identify the best course of action for the ministry to improve the marketability of graduates and discover the best resolution to problems about starting salaries, job-skill mismatch, and other relevant concerns.

The Social Security Organization, Talent Corporation Malaysia, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, and LinkedIn Malaysia are the ministry’s key partners funding the conference.