The Disconnect in Students’ Skill Sets and Employers’ Expectations

There is no doubt that Malaysian universities equip students with theoretical knowledge.

Unfortunately, deep comprehension in the field chosen to study does not always equal the ability to apply the knowledge into real work situations.

Malaysia universities need to better equip students so that they can become problem solvers in their places of employment. Until recently, the system had its shortcomings with students spending far longer hours in lectures and tutorials. This system spoon-fed students without giving them the tools to become problem solvers.

As opposed to the education systems of other countries, Malaysian students have three times the amount of lecture hours and are guided through the whole curriculum. In Australia and Britain, the onus is on the students to work through their course.

The introduction of the Malaysian Higher Education Blueprint (2015-2025) ensured that several initiatives were introduced to redesign an education system that would produce work-ready graduates.

Two of the main initiatives are proving very promising in alleviating the gap between student knowledge and employer expectations.

iCGPA – The Integrated Cumulative Grade Point Average is an assessment system that assesses students’ knowledge, social responsibility, communications, leadership &teamwork, entrepreneurial & problem-solving skills, and work ethics. Since 2018, universities are also integrating big data and learning analytics into the framework to also prepare graduates for the gig-economy.

 2u2i - This is the program that was introduced to prepare students for the workplace. It stands for two years university and two years in the industry, and since its introduction, students get the opportunity to work in some of the top Malaysian and International companies.

Malaysia is proving that it can alleviate the disconnect between students’ skill sets and employer expectations.