KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has implemented five intervention initiatives to address the declining marketability of graduates during the Covid-19 pandemic period, according to the Higher Education Ministry (KPT).

       The ministry, in a statement issued Wednesday (May 25), stated the five initiatives as the reskilling and upskilling programme known as the KPT-Career Advancement Programme (KPT-CAP); Teaching Factory programme; Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Transformation Programme; flexible and micro-credential programmes as well as mobility programmes.

       It said these five initiatives were mentioned by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad when speaking at the Education World Forum (EWF) in London last Tuesday.

       According to her, based on the graduate tracer study, it was found that the marketability of Malaysian graduates in 2020 dropped by 1.8% to 84.4% compared to 86.2% in 2019 and this was attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic.

       "As a strategic reaction to avoid further drop, KPT implemented several intervention initiatives to increase the marketability rate of graduates by 1.1% to 85.5% by 2021," she said.

       On the Penjana KPT-CAP, Noraini said the government had allocated RM150mil for the upskilling and reskilling programme which had benefited 20,000 graduates.

       The programme is unique in that the participating companies guaranteed employment for participants at least 12 months after completing the programme, she added.

       Noraini said Malaysia also implemented the 'Teaching Factory' programme to ensure graduates were able to meet current demand and the job market.

       She said the programme was currently conducted by four public universities specialising in technical and high technology, as well as practical-oriented.

       These universities work with industry players to assist the teaching and learning process (PdP), training and services in related fields, she added.

       On the TVET transformation, she said, it was implemented through the establishment of the National TVET Council chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

       "The role of the council is to advise the government on the current and future talents required by industries, as well as the technologies that need to be focused on at the university," she said, adding that all the programmes were implemented to avoid the quality of higher education and the marketability rate of graduates being affected.

       The EWF is an international ministerial forum organised annually in London since 2002 and acts as a platform for discussion and sharing of views, experiences, policies, strategies and directions for educational development as well as key and current issues in education globally. – Bernama