We are in an era of a skill-driven economy. This indicates that demand for skills is higher than ever before and niche skill is what makes the youth employable.
It is easier to stand out from the job-seeking crowd when you have the right skill. So, rather than just collecting degrees, doing courses, one must focus on professional and niche technical skills, which may help in your career.
Just taking up any course, be it a diploma or a degree programme, does not guarantee any success in terms of a better job. Choose the right niche skill for careers that are in demand worldwide, and with attractive salary packages as well.
The unemployment rate in Malaysia averaged 3.28 percent from 1998 until 2019, reaching a high of 4.5 percent in March 1999 and a low of 2.7 percent in August 2012. Our unemployment rate is most likely due to a mismatch of skills.
Technical, Vocational, Education and Training (TVET) empowers every level of society towards equitable development, poverty reduction and economic prosperity.
Even those who are able to find employment want a high salary. A better quality of niche skill graduates means better job opportunities, financial security and social mobility.
For this year, the Education Ministry received an allocation of RM60.2 billion, emphasising the critical importance of education for the nation’s progress.
Malaysia is becoming a more popular destination for local and international students because of the quality of academic programmes provided by higher education and professional training institutions.
The government is taking necessary measures to accelerate the adoption of Industry 4.0, as outlined in the Industry 4.0 Blueprint which aims to make Malaysia a prime destination for high-tech industries.
Globalisation and a borderless world require a skilled and knowledgeable workforce, which could easily adapt to the changing needs of sectors needed by the country in its quest to be a developed nation by 2025.
For instance, the professional skill licence for aircraft maintenance is offered by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) through approved training centres. With this basic licence and other corresponding type-licences along the way, an aircraft engineer can easily earn a five-figure salary within a span of 12 years.
There is a huge demand for skilled workers in automation, specific skills such as precision machining and mechatronics. There is a surge in demand for niche skills in areas such as cyber-security, information security, risk and digital technology.
Technical positions in web development and biomedical engineering are expected to grow exponentially within the next few years. With the rise of big data and machine learning, data scientists are becoming a key component in many industries, from finance and banking to healthcare. An engineering mind and coding skills are now essential for the high-tech industry.
It is estimated that there will be over 2.5 billion smartphone users in the world by next year. This means companies that want to stay relevant need apps. Mobile development is the other niche skill, besides big data and cloud solutions.
A stronger focus for TVET could potentially lower the youth unemployment rate, and address the issue of underemployment.
Our nation needs a Malaysian workforce with the skills required for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, to reduce our nation’s dependency on foreign workers, increase national competitiveness and push Malaysia to become a developed country by the year 2025.
The youths should change their mindset from seeking lifelong employment to lifelong employability. Let’s stop thinking about how to secure a job, but work to ensure how they can be employable throughout their lifetime.
M VIVEK served as an aide to several former MIC deputy ministers. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.