Graduates fail to secure jobs due to poor command of English - Abd Wahid Omar

Poor command of the English language, inability to communicate and lack of self confidence are among factors why local graduates are unemployable.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abd Wahid Omar said a solution must be found to tackle the problem to ensure graduates do not remain jobless in the future.

The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) executive director Shamsuddin Bardan had said poor command of the language among fresh graduates lists as one of the top grouses of employers.

"In view of the deficiency, the 1Malaysia Training Scheme (SL1M) is planning to engage in an immersion programme to enhance training involving communication and presentation, specifically in English to overcome the lack of confidence among graduates," he said after an exclusive meeting with chief executive officers of 40 private and Government Linked Companies (GLC) who joined the SL1M programme, Thursday.

Under the programme, graduates who could not secure jobs in six months after graduating are given the opportunity to undergo training at GLC for one year and qualify for a minimum allowance of RM1,000 a month.

"These graduates just need an opportunity to build their confidence via the SL1M programmes, and before long you can see them securing various posts in reputable companies as an outcome of the programme," he said.

Those interested in participating in the SL1M programme can contact the EPU at 03-88723387 or 03-88723390 or surf the www.epu.gov.my/sl1matau website.