Most of us are aware that securing a job in this economy is tough, but such a high figure of unemployed graduates is indeed a cause for concern.
"This number does not include graduates who will be completing their studies this year.
"The government and the private sector should work together to address this problem," he said.
According to Shamsuddin, the scourge began back in 2013 when the government increased the minimum retirement age to 60 from 55, which translated into the private sector hiring fewer newcomers to replace retirees.
"This year, the government has frozen the intake of new employees in the civil sector, which has shut out between 13,000 and 15,000 youngsters, while the private sector is being bogged down by the uncertain economic situation.
"Many companies are taking the wait and see approach as they are uncertain of what the future holds, while some others are resorting to retrenching their staff," said Shamsuddin.
He said many graduates fail to get jobs as they are weak in English, and are unable to carry themselves.
"Some of these youths are from rural areas, and do not know how to be as presentable as their urban counterparts.
"This phenomenon will cause various social issues in the long run. I hope the government will give incentives to employers so that they do not have to retrench workers, and also award those who hire unemployed graduates," he said.
The numbers given above are shocking, but not surprising.
Poor command of English among youth is an open secret.
Many graduates, despite having degrees from "fancy" fields in universities, still cannot string a proper sentence in English.
Our youth have consistently performed poorly in academics, especially in mastering English, compared to their Asian counterparts.
The more worrying aspect is our government’s failure in looking at this issue as seriously as it should.
The administration seems the least bothered about preparing the youth to compete in the local job market, let alone a global one. So much so that you don't even have to pass SPM English to complete your formal education, and get into either the job market or to continue studies.
Also, many graduates today are choosy and have high expectations of their first job, despite them not having the right skills to boot.
They refuse to accept anything less than RM3,000 plus as their basic salary on their first job, and demand "comforts" at work like office hours work, as well as weekends and public holidays off.
Many also refuse to take part-time jobs that can boost their people skills and confidence levels, which they can later utilise to promote themselves to potential employers.
For example – housekeeping or waiting jobs at hotels.
To our local youths, these are jobs that are too lowly for their degrees, and foreigners like Filipinos and Nepalis are happily snapping up such opportunities, making good money in the process, while our graduates live off their parents while they wait for the perfect job to come along.
Face it guys – times are bad. Equip yourselves with skills that can make you stand out from the rest, so that you can get your dream job. Or else, grab what comes along first and learn as you go.
Once you have gained what you need to, you can sell yourself wherever you want. There's no use waiting for a first job that pays you RM10k and throws you a free pedicure and manicure session, because it's not going to happen.
Comment by V Shuman
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