EPU to set up database to help graduates get jobs

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TRAINING SCHEME: Nor Mohamed (left) officiating at the 1Malaysia Training Scheme for graduates. — Bernama photo

MELAKA: The Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Minister’s Department will set up a micro database to monitor and help graduates obtain employment through the 1Malaysia Training Scheme (SL1M).

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said this after launching Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM)’s SL1M Graduate Employability Outreach Programme (GEOP) in Ayer Keroh here yesterday.

He said the jobless graduates who had undergone SL1M had obtained employment. “We are aggressive in this respect to help the 8,000 graduates who have gone through SL1M,” he said.

SL1M was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on June 1 involving 25 government-linked companies including TM. To date seven have started their SL1M programmes.

The SL1M TM GEOP is a programme for university graduates who are still unemployed six months after completing their studies.

Under the programme, they will receive skills training for two months, followed by on-the-job training for another six months to enhance their employability.

It started last week with 150 graduates in various fields receiving training at Multimedia University here.

Nor Mohamed said Malaysia’s unemployment rate was 3.3 per cent and according to international standards, the country was at full employment compared to 19 per cent in the US.

He said job opportunities in Malaysia were aplenty and had exceeded the country’s population to the extent that two million foreigners were now working here.

The issue of graduates failing to gain employment arose because employers’ expectations of them were slightly higher than their capabilities, he said.

“Look at the country’s multinationals like Petronas. It still has vacancies for engineers but unable to fill them up because the graduates interviewed did not meet the required criteria,” he said.

Present at the ceremony was TM chairman Datuk Dr Halim Shafie. — Bernama