For instance, MEF president Syed Hussain Syed Husman said, those who work in small sectors such as logistics, which do not experience significant growth, have to become more competitive in the job market.

“Our main focus is to ensure young graduates have strong qualifications (skills) to improve their job prospects,” he said at a press conference today.

MEF Sdn Bhd, the training arm of MEF, and the Malaysia University of Science and Technology (MUST) signed a memorandum of understanding today to offer professional training programmes to upskill and reskill workers, mainly in the logistics sector.

Syed Hussain said any effort to improve skills requires a lot of research, making it essential for industries to collaborate with institutions of higher learning.

In a media statement, MEF said the initiative is in support of the government’s effort to address the evolving need of the labour market and to promote lifelong learning among Malaysians.

Among the many initiatives under the new MEF-MUST effort is the introduction of certification programmes that focus on enhancing the skills of workers in MEF-affiliated member companies.

MEF will play a central role in overseeing these efforts.

MUST president Premkumar Rajagopal said the initiative is to support the government’s drive to empower working adults through upskilling opportunities and job resilience in an evolving workforce.

“This programme offers a chance for working adults to acquire pertinent skills-based training certificates, paving the way for them to pursue their goal of gaining tertiary qualifications through participation in a blended academic programme,” he said.

The collaboration extends to the participation of MEF officers in the MUST PhD Coloquium programme, either as active participants or guest speakers, according to the joint statement.

There is also a MUST PhD Management programme for MEF staff to help them advance both academically and professionally, the statement added.