national industry dialogue 2009 - Jabatan Pengajian Politeknik

Question 4 : Mr. Teh Kean Ming – IJM Corporation Berhad
The Generation X and Y workforce today has different expectations of working life and all
organisations face the challenge of trying to instil into them interest and passion in the
workplace. A lot of employees are job hopping. Polytechnics should not only teach technical
content but also soft skills and “human side” qualities.
Response: Chairman
We are indeed faced with this new kind of graduates who have a different mindset. Loyalty to
life long service is no longer relevant and we must take this into account.
Response: Y. Bhg. Dato’ Haji Imran
Before embarking on the 6 months industrial training students have to undergo a soft skills
module to enhance their readiness at their future workplace. In addition to the soft skills module,
they are also exposed to various co-curriculum activities which teach discipline and teamwork,
such as the mandatory Polibriged programme. There definitely is much more to be enhanced
and done.
Response: Y. Bhg. Dato’ Prof. Ir. Dr. Radin Umar Radin Sohadi, Director General, Higher
Education Department, MoHE
The Higher Education Department has developed an instrument to measure the presence of
generic soft skills attributes such as communication skills, problem solving skills, passion, ethics
etc in students at the point of exit. These attributes will enable the universities to look at the
teaching and learning taxonomies and the integration from the input will be outcome based. This
is part of the quality assurance in ensuring and enhancing graduate employability. The
department has been in discussion with DPE and certain skill sets for polytechnic students will
need to be finetuned.
Response: Tn Hj Shamsuddin Bardan
Job hopping always happen and the overall attrition rate in Malaysia at present is 2% with
electrical and construction sector at up to 8%. There are actually means and ways to prevent
job hopping. For example, the company should make clear to their employees the career paths
in the companies. Pro-active remuneration packages in terms of innovative incentives which are
performance based, non contractual remunerations given at any time or on a quarterly basis
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