KUCHING: Establishing clear and promising career prospects in both Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as well as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) fields is essential to encourage more students to pursue careers in these areas.
Assistant Vice Chancellor (Leadership and Development) of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), Professor Datuk Mohd Fadzil Abdul Rahman, expressed concern that despite the government’s intense promotion of STEM and TVET education, job opportunities have remained limited for the past two to three decades.
This has left many graduates struggling to find suitable employment that matches their qualifications.
“Even medical graduates are facing challenges in obtaining permanent positions, with some still being employed on a contract basis despite serving for many years,” said Mohd Fadzil.
He stressed the importance of smart collaboration between the government and industry in creating more job opportunities and career paths for graduates in STEM and TVET fields.
This, he said, would help bridge the gap between students’ aspirations and the reality of the job market, and in turn, encourage more students to pursue STEM and TVET education.
“We require a new model that reduces the involvement of the ministries that manage TVET issues,” said Mohd Fadzil.
“Instead of the current 11, we only need three ministries to be involved. The Human Resources Ministry can address the upskilling and reskilling of our labour force, while the Education and Higher Education Ministries can be responsible for TVET in schools and higher learning institutions.”
According to him, the implementation of TVET has long been plagued by “too many cooks who spoil the broth.”
“Numerous ministries and agencies are involved, all of which are performing the same duties, resulting in redundancy, inefficiency, and a waste of resources. Programmes and certifications are not synchronised because each group is preoccupied with its own activities. The TVET sector is highly fragmented, and everyone works in silos,” he added.
According to the Unesco Institute for Statistics, Malaysia had a youth enrolment rate of only 6.1 per cent in TVET institutions last year.
This figure is significantly lower than that of its neighbouring countries, such as Singapore (23.8 per cent), South Korea (14.2 per cent), and Indonesia (12.8 per cent).
Mohd Fadzil suggested one potential solution to attract more students to these fields could be implementing a higher salary scheme for graduates.
“But imposing an income tax on graduates’ earnings could complicate matters and needs to be considered carefully and separately,” he added.
Consider the case of a 29-year-old electrical engineer from Padawan. With a year’s experience, she told New Sarawak Tribune that she used to earn RM3,000 (S$905) a month here before securing a job in Singapore, where her monthly income is now $4,300. There are many other stories like hers.
JobStreet, an employment website, indicates that engineering positions in Malaysia typically offer a monthly salary ranging from RM3,200 to RM4,200. In contrast, Singapore’s average monthly pay for similar roles is $4,000.
While providing incentives such as free education is commendable, Mohd Fadzil said the government should prioritise aligning the education system with the available job opportunities.
This would not only benefit graduates, but also ensure the development of skills and expertise necessary in various industries.
The current state of STEM and TVET education has created a cycle where graduates often become teachers, training the next generation of graduates who then also become teachers.
“While teaching is a noble profession, this cycle creates a situation that is difficult to break out of,” he said.
Many students pursue STEM and TVET education with the expectation of finding employment in these fields but end up working in other professions, such as teaching. This leads to a waste of resources if adequate job opportunities are not provided.
In regard to the policy of having 60 per cent STEM and 40 per cent Art student ratio, Mohd Fadzil said: “I have no issue with it. But we need to be careful not to favour some students over others when it comes to financial support, like free education. Simply aiming for a certain number of students in each field isn’t enough if there aren’t enough jobs that match what they’ve studied.”
“It is imperative for the government to address this issue and provide support for all students, regardless of their academic performance,” said Mohd Fadzil, noting that while good academic results may benefit some students, others who do not achieve satisfactory results might struggle to find employment.
