INGENIEUR
paying back study loans and meeting living costs and other financial commitments .
Once the graduate steps into the industry , the competition begins . There is competition not only in choice of jobs but also against other candidates who are eyeing the same market sector . To make the situation worse , competing candidates may not only be locals but also foreigners . The latter may be more experienced and possess superior skill levels as they could have been recently laid off and therefore are more desperate .
A solution for some graduate engineers are the Government initiatives linked with training on competencies and promise of employment . These initiatives , organised by the Government under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher Education , afford some help to fresh graduate engineers .
1 . Strong engineering fundamental knowledge . Creativity and Innovation are essential ;
2 . Good communication skills , both English and Bahasa Malaysia . Other languages would be a bonus , such as Mandarin and French ;
3 . Familarity with and ability to understand the principles of Project Management . All projects require this skill . However , this subject is not commonly taught in many University / Colleges ;
4 . Demonstrated ability to work independently or with little supervision . Possesses good interpersonal skills . Having leadership qualities would help ;
5 . Not too demanding in terms of working environment related to the three ‘ Ds ’ ( Dangerous , Difficult and Dirty );
6 . Salary package reasonable and not too demanding ;
7 . Being prepared to upskill with specialised training which usually comes with a bond ;
8 . Have the necessary skills to help the company migrate to Industrial Revolution 4.0 ( IR4.0 ).
Figure 3 : Launching of Penjana KPT CAP ‘ Graduate Employability ’
THE EMPLOYER In the present business climate , many employers , particularly small medium businesses , are under a lot of strain and pressure to survive and have few business opportunities in their order books . The ability for them to accept new graduate engineers as employees depends on the needs of the company and the ability to pay their remuneration . As such , the Government must also consider some initiatives that can help sustain small and medium industries to ensure survival . Once business is sustainable and recruitment picks up , the attributes of potential employees the companies will seek are likely to be :
Figure 4 : Engineers at work in dangerous , difficult and dirty environment
42 VOL 83 JULY-SEPTEMBER 2020