KUALA LUMPUR: The higher education ministry will focus on digital training with Microsoft and online shopping platform Shopee to increase marketability and to counter the effects of rising unemployment among graduates.
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Higher education minister Noraini Ahmad said the ministry is working closely with the Social Security Organisation (Socso) and Microsoft to achieve this.
She said there is placement for 25,000 graduates under Microsoft’s global skills initiative and another 12,000 under Shopee to strengthen information technology skills.
Earlier, Noraini said research conducted by her ministry showed that the employability of Malaysian graduates had dropped from 86.2% in 2019 to 84.4% last year.
She said reskilling and upskilling and other measures such as strategic plans and structured internship programmes would continue.
She was replying to Mohd Fasiah Fakeh (Bersatu-Sabak Bernam), who asked in a supplementary question about the number of graduates remaining jobless, and how the ongoing upskilling and reskilling training met market standards.
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Fasiah also asked about digital and entrepreneurship training, and wages for practical training.
Noraini said the ministry would focus on digital training, including data science and bio infographic skills.
As for wages during practical training, she said her ministry had requested for an allocation of RM450 million under Budget 2022.
Nurul Izzah Anwar (PH-Permatang Pauh) asked about the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme, which had ceased since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Noraini said various ministries were in discussion on the matter.-FMT