KOTA KINABALU: The Higher Education Ministry (KPT) has voiced concerns about the possibility of a shortage of graduates to meet the workforce needed in the high-tech sector in the country.
Its Deputy Minister, Datuk Mustapha Sakmud, said this concern is based on the declining interest of secondary school students nationwide in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in recent years.
He added that the decline is evident in the number of Form Four students opting for science streams, which has decreased compared to arts or non-science streams.
Data from last year shows that only 22.8 per cent of Form Four students nationwide were enrolled in science streams in secondary schools, with Sabah recording the lowest percentage among all states at 12.35 per cent.
Mustapha expressed concern about the impact of this trend on the production of graduates in the high-tech sector and its long-term implications for industrial and economic growth.
He said Microsoft's announcement of a RM10.5 billion investment in cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI) in the country would require graduates with STEM-related skills.
He added that there is an effort to establish a National STI Talent Committee under the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (Mosti) to analyse the demand and supply of science, technology and innovation (STI) talent in the country, with the involvement of the Higher Education Ministry.
Efforts will be made to increase student participation in STEM from school to higher education levels, with collaboration between the Ministry of Education and institutions of higher learning.
At the ministry level, initiatives are being implemented to increase student interest and participation in STEM, including the MySTEM Ambassador programme at higher education institutions, which aims to promote STEM to school students.
According to statistics from UPUOnline 2023, only 89,625 or 36.69 per cent of the 237,805 eligible applicants for placement in higher education institutions applied for STEM or science programmes.