KUALA LUMPUR: Local higher-learning institutions have been advised to develop programmes that are highly appealing to employers and the industry.
A news portal recently reported Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) chief executive officer Professor Datuk Dr Mohammad Shatar Sabran as saying that with the rapid pace of technological change, higher-learning institutions must provide the most engaging programmes for students and industry alike.
"Higher-learning institutions need to be aggressive, creative and proactive in their programme offerings, along with conducting regular market research, especially in fields with high demand for both local and global workforce."
He said the agency always encouraged the institutions to offer new programmes, as well as allowing adjustments of up to 30 per cent to existing programmes for improvement purposes.
"The institutions should make the best use of this flexibility; the programmes they offer will surely be desirable and appear 'sexy' in the eyes of employers, and their graduates will be sought-after.
"They must not offer programmes merely because they are following conventional offerings, even when those programmes are no longer relevant to employers and industries," he said.
He added that employers' expectations and job market demands could change almost every year, and even every month in some industries.