Marketability of graduates increased by four per cent in four years — Idris

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Idris (second left) with Ahmad Badawi (third left) and wife Jeanne (fourth left) visit a booth after the launching ceremony of the Trans Resources Corporation (TRC) Edu Center at Politeknik Ungku Omar . — Bernama photo

IPOH: The marketability of graduates of local tertiary institutions increased by four per cent in four years from 2014 to 2017.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said this increase was proof that local public universities could produce graduates of quality to meet the needs of the job market.

He said the introduction of the ‘Two Universities + Two Industries’ (2u2i) programme which enabled students to study on campus for two years and intern with the industries for another two also contributed to the increase in their marketability.

“The marketability of graduates has increased in four years with 75.1 per cent in 2014, going up by one per cent each year to 76.1 per cent (2015), 77.3 per cent (2016) and 79.1 per cent last year,” he said.

Idris was speaking after the launching ceremony of the Trans Resources Corporation (TRC) Edu Center at Politeknik Ungku Omar here yesterday, which was also attended by former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and wife, Tun Jeanne Abdullah, who is a member of the TRC board of directors.

Also present were Higher Education Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Mary Yap Kain Ching, Department of Polytechnic Education and Community Colleges directror-general, Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Ismail Abd Aziz and TRC group managing director Tan Sri Sufri Mohd Zin.

The TRC Edu Center is an industry-academic centre which is the result of a collaboration between Politeknik Ungku Omar, Department of Polytechnic Education and Community Colleges and TRC towards achieving the ministry’s mission of  ‘Industry & Academia Are One’.

On the centre, Idris said TRC would take in 30 polytechnic students each year for five years to provide work-based learning, subsequently employing them after their studies. — Bernama