Consider employing foreign grads of local varsities, govt told

 

TalentCorp’s Nazrul Aziz says Malaysia must allow employers to fill talent gaps in critical sectors of the Malaysian business sector with foreign students who graduate from local universities.

PETALING JAYA: Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad is proposing that foreigners who graduate from local institutions of higher learning be allowed to kickstart their careers in the country to fill talent gaps in critical sectors.

TalentCorp, an agency under the human resources ministry, says their suggestion comes following feedback received from industries and international business chambers.

It said these graduates should have at least two years of strong academic performance in Malaysia, and their employment should be in sectors that are included in TalentCorp’s critical occupations list (MyCOL).

MyCOL outlines occupations in 18 economic sectors in Malaysia where local talent is lacking.

“(Foreign talent) will only be considered for the most sought after, but hard to fill, vacancies in critical sectors,” said TalentCorp’s vice-president Nazrul Aziz.

“It won’t deprive our local talents of opportunities,” he added.

One of the sectors Nazrul cited was cybersecurity, a course offered in several tertiary institutions in Malaysia but only popular among international students.

Nazrul said allowing them to work in Malaysia could also create a ripple effect in the economy as it would make local tertiary education institutions more appealing to foreign students due to potential career opportunities after graduation.

“The graduates and professionals’ community will be more diverse, eventually making Malaysia a regional talent hub.

“(This) could potentially attract future investments and subsequently create more skilled jobs for local talents as well,” he said.

CEO of the Center for Market Education, Carmelo Ferlito, agreed, saying such a move will help liberalise the country’s job market.

He proposed that the government lobby for a total liberalisation of the labour market among Asean countries, similar to the Schengen Area – a passport-free zone comprising 27 European countries within which citizens are allowed to move, work and live freely.

Ferlito said Malaysia has an overabundance of skilled workers who lack social mobility.

“With an open market, these workers could look for better opportunities in fast growing countries in the region,” he said, adding that an “unhampered” labour market is the best way for the economy to work smoothly. - FMT