KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Resources Ministry is reviewing amendments to the National Skills Development Act 2006 to explore the possibility of upgrading the Malaysian Skills Certificate to align with degree levels, including up to the doctorate (PhD) level.
Its minister, Steven Sim, said the amendments, expected to be made next year, would allow the certificate to be upgraded to Levels 6, 7, and 8, compared to the current maximum of Level 5, which is equivalent to an advanced diploma.
Sim added that at the moment, students in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) could pursue training from Level 1 to Level 5 and must go to university if they wish to continue to higher levels.
"For this phase, we have MTUN (Malaysian Technical University Network) to continue studies up to the PhD level.
"For your information, the ministry is reviewing the National Skills Development Act 2006, which could be amended next year… we aim to explore the possibility of upgrading the certificates to Levels 6, 7, and 8, equivalent to degree, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral certificates (PhD)," he said in his winding-up speech for the 2025 Budget in the Dewan Rakyat today.
On other matters, Sim said the minimum wage mechanism is not a 'cure-all' that could provide a comprehensive solution to worker wage issues, but the government is making efforts to implement various other progressive initiatives.
"For the first time, the ministry has published a guide on starting salaries based on skill fields as per the Malaysia Standard Classification of Occupations.
"It is hoped to serve as a guide for graduates, the job market, and employers in salary negotiations," he said.
Sim also cited the Labour Force Survey by the Department of Statistics Malaysia which said a total of 187,800 graduates were unemployed in 2022, with 103,000 of them holding degrees.
"The trend of youth unemployment is typical in most countries as they are generally fresh graduates without work experience.
"However, the national unemployment rate in 2023 has declined to 3.4 per cent compared to 3.9 per cent in 2022," he said.