JOHOR BARU: Some 22.3 per cent of skilled workers in Johor are employed in fields unrelated to their expertise, which could lead to reduced productivity.
Since Jan 1 this year, 74,710 vacancies were advertised in the state, but there were only 51,946 applicants, according to Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
Based on the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) MyFuture Jobs statistics, between 20 and 60 per cent of vocational college graduates worked outside their fields of expertise.
Skills mismatch occurs when the skills and competencies possessed by job candidates do not align with the requirements and expectations of the position.
Onn Hafiz said to overcome this problem, the state government proposed the establishment of the Johor Talent Development Council (JTDC) during a special meeting in Parliament yesterday (July 17).
He said it was necessary to tackle the shortage of skilled labour.
"With the establishment of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), the need for skilled labour is paramount.
"JS-SEZ plays a major role in realising Johor's ambition of becoming a developed state by 2030," he said in a Facebook post today (July 18).
He said the skills mismatch could be solved with the establishment of JTDC to ensure gaps in education and training were narrowed.
Several key initiatives were discussed at the meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Onn Hafiz said the meeting agreed that JTDC would function as a one-stop centre, along with Johor Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre, to streamline operations, recruitment and investor entry into the state.
JTDC will also act as a liaison between higher education institutions and industries to enhance talent development, skills upgrade and career placements.
Onn Hafiz said JTDC would conduct studies on programmes and courses and realign them to match industry needs.
JTDC will also serve as a labour market and industry requirement data collection hub for ministries, government agencies and stakeholders.
Onn Hafiz added that JTDC would be the strategic framework to enhance graduate employability.