Answer for Written Question PT036

QUESTION

Yang Berhormat Pengiran Haji Isa bin Pengiran Haji Aliuddin

YANG BERHORMAT PENGIRAN HAJI ISA BIN PENGIRAN HAJI ALIUDDIN asked YANG BERHORMAT MENTERI PENDIDIKAN to state regarding the issue of mismatch, whereby graduates from local institutions are not aligned with the careers they pursue. Is this caused by deficiencies in the Training Needs Analysis or by other factors?

ANSWER

Yang Berhormat Menteri Pendidikan

The issue of mismatch between graduates and careers is a complex challenge addressed by the ministry through a multi-faceted approach that goes beyond merely conducting a Training Needs Analysis (TNA). The Ministry of Education uses data from Key Success Measures (KSM) 5 and 6 as the main indicators for monitoring the effectiveness of graduates in the job market.

Based on the data, the Employer Satisfaction Rate (KSM 6) with local graduates remained high, at 80.2% in 2023 and 77.8% in 2024. These figures indicate that, in general, graduates possess the basic competencies required by industry. Nevertheless, the issue of mismatch persists, and the ministry conducts the Graduate Employment Study (GES) annually to examine the suitability of fields of study with actual employment after 6 and 12 months of graduation. For example, UNISSA, through the OCeAN office, uses GES data to enable faculties to review and realign their curricula in accordance with the dynamics of the job market.

The ministry has identified that mismatch is often not caused solely by curriculum deficiencies, but by a lack of in-depth practical exposure during studies. Therefore, targeted apprenticeship programmes have been strengthened, such as the Headstart Programme at UBD, which enables digital science students to obtain 16 modular credits through industrial training at technology companies such as Dynamik Technologies. At UTB, Capstone projects and Mandatory Industrial Training ensure that every graduate gains direct experience in addressing actual industry challenges.

In addition, through the human resource development objective (Objective 3), the ministry continually conducts Training Needs Analysis (TNA) for teaching staff and personnel to ensure that they possess up-to-date skills to be imparted to students. For graduates, upskilling and reskilling initiatives through lifelong learning centres, such as C3L at UBD and Tri-CEd at UTB, are provided to bridge the skills gap for those wishing to transition into new fields of employment. The use of the Cohort Tracking 2024 project also helps to identify school leavers in the NEET category (21% in 2023), so that they can be provided with early career guidance to ensure that their choice of field of study is more accurate and reduce the risk of mismatch in the future. This comprehensive strategy ensures that the national education system is more responsive to changes in the economic landscape, in line with the Manpower Blueprint.

Most recently, the Ministry of Education began systematically implementing the Feature Analysis Model this year across all public higher education institutions. Through this strategy, higher education institutions and the ministry are able to ensure that every programme implemented either achieves excellence, requires improvement from time to time, or needs to be reorganised more systematically so that it corresponds with the requirements of the employment sector and the direction of national development.