The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has stated that Malaysia is facing a severe wave of youth unemployment because the educational system does not prepare high school graduates for starting work.
MTUC secretary-general J Solomon has said that the current educational system does not place enough emphasis on what the labor market is and how it works. Currently, the main focus of high schools students is to achieve good grades, so that they can continue to higher education.
However, not all students decide to go to university. Thus a significant portion of young adults who choose to enter the job market right after high school are unprepared and cannot manage to hold or even secure a job.
Government measures battling unemployment
The MTUC has expressed concerns about the rise in youth unemployment, as this means there is a significant deficit on the job market. According to the Union Congress, the only way to revert this trend is by considerable policy changes introduced by the government.
MTUC is adamant that the Malaysian educational system should provide more detailed information to graduating students about their rights and obligations once they become active in the labor market.
One other recommendation by the MTUC is that the government should invest more time in boosting vocational training so that more students acquire practical skills during their high school education.
These reforms are more than necessary as research has shown that around thirty to forty percent of high school graduates do not go after tertiary education. This is close to half of all students, which means that they should be prepared to get into good paying jobs after they graduate.
