national industry dialogue 2009 - Jabatan Pengajian Politeknik

the nation. The polytechnics must clearly define their role and relationship with the industry. The
roles played by polytechnics as knowledge developers in providing human resource for the
industry and the industry as human capital users and knowledge consumers providing the
professional and practical conditioning should be symbiotic. It is in the best interest of these two
entities to forge a strong relationship of mutual benefit to each other.
Recently, the polytechnic and community college have been separated into 2 different agencies
to improve the efficiency and performance of both sectors. In order to ensure this transformation
of the polytechnics is relevant in an era of innovation led change within the industry, it is crucial
the industry as stakeholders understand and champion the cause.
Presentation : Malaysian Employment Outlook-Changing Market Trends
Presenter : Mr. Dhirendra Shantilal
Senior Vice President (Asia Pacific), Kelly Services Inc.
Malaysia has celebrated 50 years of independence and is one of fast growing nation in the Asia
Pacific region with 11.2 million workforces. In line with the development, Malaysia needs to
produce more students who are competitive with technical and behavioural competency in
workplace, able to communicate, articulate and present ideas, able to think out of box and who
are creative. This would be a challenge for higher education institutions to incorporate these
skills. Therefore the academia must be forward looking and work well with the industry to
produce this excellent workforce.
Significant investment in education helps to develop human capital. There are now about 25
private universities and 20 university colleges in Malaysia. Within a short span of time, from
2005 to 2008, student enrolment in public and private higher education institutions has
increased by over 33% and 54% respectively.
The challenge for graduates is to ensure that their skills remain current and relevant.
Continuous skills education is essential in today’s world. In developing skills required in the new
knowledge-based economy, there is a part to be played by students, higher education,
employers and policymakers.
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