What you need to know about the current job market in Malaysia
by StudyMalaysia.com on July 10, 2017 | Top Stories
The Critical Occupations List 2016/2017 sheds some light on what you need to know about the jobs that are in demand and the economic sectors which need them most.
What are critical occupations?
Critical occupations in the Critical Occupations List are jobs that are in demand in Malaysia. They are also jobs that are currently experiencing shortages by specific economic sectors, where some industries may be facing difficulty in filling up these positions.
To ensure that Malaysia is equipped with the skills needed in an internationally competitive economy, the Critical Skills Monitoring Committee (CSC), was established under the 11th Malaysia Plan to facilitate policy formulation and mitigate skills mismatches within the labour market.
Jointly led by Talent Corporation (TalentCorp), and the Institute of Labour Market Information and Analysis (ILMIA), the principal task of the CSC is to develop the Critical Occupations List (COL). The COL outlines the jobs most in demand in key sectors of the economy, in particular industries which may be facing shortages or difficulties in hiring. The COL also aims to provide the data and input needed to formulate and implement human resources management and development policy measures, such as those related to reskilling and upskilling, scholarships, higher education, TVET, and immigration.
The second COL has just been released—here are the key findings in the 2016/2017 COL:
| Percentage share of labour force with tertiary education: | |
|---|---|
| Year | Percentage |
| 2013 | 24.7% |
| 2014 | 26.7% |
| 2015 | 27.6% |
Source: Labour Force Surveys, Department of Statistics, Malaysia
| Number of critical occupations in 2015/2016 COL | Number of critical occupations in 2016/2017 COL |
|---|---|
| 42 | 48 |
| 11 occupations no longer critical in 2016/2017 | 17 new occupations in 2016/2017 COL |
|---|---|
|
|
| New sectors added in 2016/2017 COL | Sector with the most number of critical occupations |
|---|---|
|
|
| Top 3 largest share of employed workers* | Top 3 sectors with highest retrenchment in 2016 |
|---|---|
*2015 data Source: Labour Force Surveys, Department of Statistics, Malaysia |
|
Professional occupations like medical specialists, accountants, |
Employers value soft skills more than work experience.
|
For a full list of 48 critical occupations, read “The most sought-after jobs in Malaysia 2016/2017”.
Sources for this article include:
- TalentCorp Malaysia, Malaysia’s Critical Occupations List 2015/2016
- The Star Online, “Those in prestigious professions still a sought-after lot”
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