The president of Malaysia’s Federation of Manufacturers (FMM) Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai, has warned that many fresh graduates require between six and 12 months of training due to skills mismatches with applied jobs.
Despite having 1,250 technical and vocational education and training institutes across Malaysia, outdated training equipment is leading to inadequately prepared graduates, he advised.
Soh’s remarks came after the launch of the Skills for Prosperity Programme in Malaysia (SP-Malaysia), a collaboration between FMM’s training arm and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
SP-Malaysia aims to enhance skills training for the food-processing sector and develop career paths for women and youth from low-income backgrounds.
Funded by the UK government, the partnership will develop a shared skills strategy, create customised career maps, and launch a pilot micro-credential training to bridge skills gaps.
Soh emphasised the need for industry engagement to solve structural issues on both skills demand and supply sides.
