54,867 graduates are still unemployed three months before convocation - Idris

The Graduates Tracking System showed that last year 54,867 graduates remained unemployed three months before their convocation, the Dewan Rakyat was told on Thursday.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said the amount represented 23.9 per cent of the total 229,568 graduates surveyed throughout 2015.

"The international-level survey takes a longer time, which is a year, as the marketability benchmark. The employment rate will be higher if the one-year benchmark is used," he said when replying to a question from Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin (PKR-Bukit Katil).

Replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Noraini Ahmad (BN-Parit Sulong) on Bachelor of Education (ISMP) graduates, who are still not placed in schools, Idris said they were not guaranteed to be absorbed into schools under the Ministry of Education (MOE).

"There was never an agreement that they will be absorbed into the school system. We have to refer to the MOE on this issue," he said.