Training programme for unemployed grads launched - NST

March 13, 2009 By Farrah Naz Karim

Datuk Seri Najib Razak says it is critical that Malaysia equips itself with capable manpower

PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday launched the Graduate Employability Management Scheme (Gems), aimed at reducing unemployment.
The initiative, which was set up to complement the Graduate Employability Enhancement Programme (Green) put in place in 2006, would benefit some 5,000 unemployed graduates nationwide, in its first year of implementation.

Under the programme, the graduates will undergo an executive development training programme for over two months, before being placed in participating government-linked companies (GLCs).

Khazanah Nasional Berhad is the secretariat for Gems.

Najib said with the projected unemployment rate this year being 4.5 per cent (3.7 per cent last year), these programmes could help reduce the impact of the economic crisis on employment.
He said in view of the current recession, it was critical for the country to equip itself with capable and productive manpower.

"If we are able to train well and subsequently utilise these unemployed graduates in the various sectors and industries, I am confident that it would greatly benefit the country's productivity and strength in cushioning the impact of the crisis," he said at the launch.

Najib said unemployment was a problem that needed to be arrested systematically.

Failing to address the issue, he said, would not only cause the country to lose out on productivity but also create social and political problems.

He said under the first Green programme, 97 per cent of 1,194 graduates trained at 38 GLCs succeeded in securing jobs as soon as they completed their training.

He said with the increasing number of graduates each year, it was important that job opportunities were created for them.

At any one time, there are some 60,000 graduates, Najib pointed out, who faced difficulties in securing jobs.

Some 180,000 graduates are produced each year from public and private higher learning institutions.

Only graduates who are below 27 and with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 from recognised institutions, are eligible for the programme.

Also present at the launch was Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, his deputy Datuk Kong Cho Ha and Khazanah managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar.