employability issue

According to Utusan online dated 13/02/2010, one program will implement by government via Ministry of Higher Education to produce graduate with various skills and knowledge to facilitate them to get a job. This kind of problem arises because graduates now have no employability caused by lack of knowledge, skills and ability.

Usually the industry and employers don’t want to take our post graduate because of their lack of much capability to do a job well. Before solve these problem, certainly source of these problem must to determine first. Several factors can lead to this problem. The common issues occur is our post graduate not having proper image and good look of appearance. Moreover, cannot deliver massages efficiently because weakness in the official communication. Mastery of English so weak also engender our graduate has not employability.

Furthermore employer was not interesting to employ our graduate because our graduate not has soft skill such as communications skills in term to apply listening, verbal and written. Also analytical and research Skills, computer or technical literacy, flexibility to managing multiple priorities, interpersonal abilities and leadership and management skills are very weak drop our post graduate value.

Why our graduate be depicted extremely weak? It is come from our graduate itself or exist bias in describe our graduate? For me when someone talks about something at least something must happen. I as a student also admit my knowledge, skill and ability not enough to face with real world in workplace. It is fair to blame government or environment with my demerit? Or I must blame myself? No use to blame anyone in these case but find for batter solutions is the great way.
Commitment of government to be seen with Malaysian Soft skills (My3S) rating be used to measure soft skills in student university. It was compulsory to final student. Besides Entrepreneur program is one of method used to extend the ability of our student in business world. It is a good step because in entrepreneur thinking, it was teaches students how to be creative and apply critical thinking in solve a problem. As well as practicum or industrial training has great advantages. Student can apply all theory learn in university to real workplace.

Finishing school is a program creates to final student to add value after graduation. For me it was not really help to improve the future worker value because the content presented during the program take a long time to give a proper effect. I mean, soft skill want to absorb to student impossible can implemented immediately. Soft skill must be apply in long term gradually and continues. I suggest this program subject to first semester student.

Good planning does not necessarily give a good output. Like a finishing school is not well designed, entrepreneur program and practicum are planning well also can give ruined result outcome. It happens in the implementation stage when not done in properly. Practicum replacement not made perfectly. As an example, human resource student duly be placed in the organizational carry out with devotion in human resource practice but placed in public sector branch which human resource practice not implemented overall.

In my opinion the employability issue will continues if we don’t look at an essential factor, our self. Our own choices destine our luck in future day. Government already plays their role to improve student and us as a student must play our role. Change the way we usually think. Do not just think we learned in university just for good jobs but to seek knowledge as a preparation to face in real world.

Many students do not focus what they want to be after the graduation day. So from now on, it is our responsibility to change the perception about graduate from Malaysian. We are a good same as foreign graduates. Focus to improve our self knowledge, skills and ability and at the time our employability cannot be denied. When we reach the standard, at the time job will come to us. Trust me.