EDUCATION     TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Malaysia – Employers would rather hire skilled and experienced professionals who can bring instant returns, rather than fresh graduates.

Fresh graduates tend to require training before they can perform, Jeannie Khoo, Kelly Services marketing director for Singapore and Malaysia, told The Star.

Findings from the Kelly Services Professional and Technical Salary Guide 2012 showed while all 27 polytechnics in Malaysia generate thousands of skilled workers every year, many of them need to be retrained by employers.

Khoo explained many employers felt fresh graduates lacked communication skills, had poor English and needed to improve before they could add value to the business, implying additional costs for company.

She advised fresh graduates to be less choosy and to have realistic expectations on salary and remuneration.

“You are unlikely to earn RM3,000 (S$1,223) in your first job,” she said. “Be willing to learn. If you are offered an internship, take it.”

With a growing demand for professionals with experience and niche skills, Mark Sparrow, Kelly Services Asia Pacific head of professional and technical, said the “hot jobs” in Malaysia include risk management specialists, construction and environment engineers, software development specialists and marketing and sales personnel who are fluent in English.

Within the Asia-Pacific region, he said there is a high demand for engineers, especially in Indonesia and Thailand, which are rebuilding their cities following natural disasters.
Globally, Sparrow said there is a shortage of talent in specialised areas of engineering, accountancy, technology and financial services.
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