COLLEGE VOCATIONAL GRADUATE EMPLOYMENT

FACTORS

BY

AHMAD FAHMY BIN RAMLY

SUPERVISOR NAME: ASSOC. PROF. TS. DR. NORMI

SHAM BT AWANG ABU BAKAR

INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA

2023
 Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................4

1.1 Background of the Study................................................................................................................4

1.2 Problem Statement.........................................................................................................................4

1.3 Research Questions........................................................................................................................5

1.4 Research Objectives.......................................................................................................................6

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW.......................................................................................7

2.1 College Vocational........................................................................................................................7

2.1.1 KV intake................................................................................................................................7

2.1.2 KV Output..................................................................................................................................7

2.2 Graduate Employability...................................................................................................................7

2.3 Graduate Job miss match...............................................................................................................8

2.4 Salary Acceptability..........................................................................................................................8

2.5 Student-parent career congruences...................................................................................................9

CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.....................................................................10

3.0 Introduction..................................................................................................................................10

3.1 Research Design and Approach...................................................................................................10

3.1.1 Data Source..........................................................................................................................10

3.1.2 Data Description...................................................................................................................10

3.2 Method Selection.........................................................................................................................11

3.2.1 Descriptive Analysis..............................................................................................................11
3.2.2 Correlation Analysis.............................................................................................................11

3.3 Data Visualization........................................................................................................................11

REFERENCES.....................................................................................................................................12
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 List of Figure

Figure 1: Average Monthly Salary For First Degree

Graduates And Diploma Holders From 2007 to 2015.............................................................5

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 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is a practical and

more than just theoretical learning. This learning stream is expected to produce the skilled
manpower needed by the country. It has also been stated in the Malaysian Education
Blueprint (PPPM) 2013-2025 that Technical and Vocational Education and Training
(TVET) is an important contributor to the country's Economic Transformation Programme
(ETP).

Since the Tenth Malaysia Plan (10th MP), various efforts have been made to
streamline and expand access to Vocational Technical Education and Training (TVET).
One of them has transformed the technical school into a vocational college that is the
backbone of the Ministry of Education's (MOE) Vocational Education and Training. The
government's efforts have continued during the 11th MP to increase the level of Vocational
Technical Education and Training in Malaysia. In the 12MP, the Malaysian government
intends to improve the technical and vocational education and training ecosystem (TVET)
to develop future available talent will be introduced as a driver of change to better meet the
demands of the industry. Therefore, TVET graduates should work in the field to realize the
government's aspiration to achieve high-income countries by 2030.

According to the TVET Graduate Detection Survey report published by the

Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), vocational college (KV) graduates constituted
15.10% (11,878 graduates) of the total TVET graduates in 2020. This is second to the
number of polytechnic graduates. This indicates that the output of vocational colleges will
have a significant impact on the skilled workforce capital of the nation.

1.2 Problem Statement

Graduate employability has become a critical issue for vocational college graduates,
with concerns expressed regarding graduates' ability to secure suitable employment and
efficiently contribute to the workforce. Despite the growing demand for highly skilled

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 workers, many graduates are unable to secure employment, resulting in underemployment,
miss-matches, and skills disparities in the labour market.

The disparity between the skills and credentials possessed by graduates and the
requirements of the job market is one of the primary obstacles to graduate employability.
Graduates may have difficulty obtaining employment due to a lack of practical skills or
experience, or because their academic credentials do not correlate with the needs of
potential employers. This can result in many highly qualified graduates being unable to
find suitable employment, while employers struggle to find candidates with the necessary
skills and knowledge to perform effectively on the job.

Also, for KV graduates, there is a strong correlation between salary and graduate
employability. In general, TVET graduates command higher salaries than non-TVET
graduates. Although graduates get employed, they unable to get right salary compatible
with their qualifications or skills.

It is possible for a graduate of a KV’s program to have job opportunities that are
significantly influenced by their family background, specifically in terms of the career
routes and industries they opt to pursue. KV graduates who come from privileged
backgrounds may have greater access to a wider variety of employment choices, influential
networks, and financial resources. As a result, they may have more opportunities to follow
the career paths that they have wished. In contrast, graduates of KV who come from less
privileged backgrounds may have difficulty gaining access to information, networks, and
financial resources, which can restrict their employment choices and possibilities.

1.3 Research Questions

1. What are the main factors graduate mismatch from their field of studies?
2. What is the graduate salary equivalent to their qualification?
3. What is correlation between family background and graduate choice of employment?

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1.4 Research Objectives

1. To determine main factors, graduate employment mismatch from their field of

studies after graduation.
2. To determine vocational college graduate salary that meets their qualification.
3. To determine correlation between family background and graduate choice of
employment.

1.5 Research Significant

This study benefits several parties such as:

(a) Malaysian Ministry of Education

 The Technical and Vocational Education Division (BPLTV) is able to
formulate a curriculum that is appropriate and in line with the needs of the
industry.

(b) Vocational Colleges

 Vocational colleges can design suitable programs to further enhance the
employability of graduates to gain a place in the work field.

(c) College Counsellors

 The study is also expected to help counsellors plan appropriate interventions for
vocational college graduates to work field.

(d) Future graduates

 Future graduates can emphasize on digital skills that suit the needs of the
industry other than the skills in their field of study. This is important so that
they can be marketed according to their field.

Overall, the research will facilitate an extensive understanding of the challenges faced
by vocational institutions, policymakers, and people in general, which will allow to develop
of actions to overcome them. Furthermore, it will offer significant insights into the
Malaysian education system. As a result, it can be predicted that future graduates will
experience boosted opportunities for employment in the future.

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 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 College Vocational

The Vocational College is based on a specific educational curriculum for students who
follow post-secondary vocational education and training at the Vocational College (KV). The
KV curriculum is composed according to the work competency standard set by the employment
standards organization and the learning level meets the requirements of the National
Occupational Skills Standards (NOSS) level 1 to level 3.(AHMAD LUTHFI, n.d,2014).

2.1.1 KV intake

The group of students who will be trained at the vocational college are students who
graduated from the Form 3 Assessment (PT3) in 2015 and the Lower Secondary
Assessment (PMR) in 2013, the selection of students is made based on the student's interest
and inclination towards the vocational field and achieving the minimum requirements in
the academic field.(AHMAD LUTHFI, n.d,2014). Since 2020, MOE cancelled the PT3.
From that year those intend to enter vocational college their need seat exam for
Pentaksiran Kemasukan Sekolah Khusus (Special School Admission Assessment) (PKSK).
(MOE, 2021)

2.1.2 KV Output

Graduates from college vocational are expected 70% working in industry, 20% continue
study to bachelor’s degree or upskill to higher level and 10% become entrepreneurs.
(AHMAD LUTHFI, n.d,2014)

2.2 Graduate Employability

Employability is a person's ability to compete in their career and future employment and
get the job they want. The characteristics of graduates in vocational secondary schools vary
from those of college graduates. They acquire greater technical competence (occupation-
specific skills) than personal resource development throughout their three years of education.
(Muhammad, H,2018).

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 In recent years, the dynamics of labour markets have shown widening gaps between skill
supply and demand. This is due, in part, to the growth of the Internet and social media, which
are intimately related to the digitalization of the economy and the workplace. (Pekkala & van
Zoonen, 2022)

2.3 Graduate Job miss match.

In 2005, it was reported that around 30,000 Malaysian graduates were employed in a
profession that did not correlate with their higher education credentials due to a mismatch
between their skills and the area in which they were employed. (Hanapi & Nordin. 2014).

2.4 Salary Acceptability

After graduation, most of graduate will looking for job straight away. Figure 1 shows the
average monthly salary for first degree graduates and diploma holders from 2007 to 2015 (Dian
Hikmah, 2017). There has been very little change in the starting salary offered to diploma
graduates. In order to live in the present economic climate, the majority of graduates would take
a job with a lower salary than is appropriate. (Mohd Abdul Kadir,2020). In 2019 almost half
TVET graduate gain less RM 1,500 per month (MOHE, 2020). In the same year, Malaysian
government announce minimum wage is RM1200 per month (Attorney General’s
Chamber,2020).

Figure 1: Average monthly salary for first degree graduates and diploma holders from 2007 to 2015

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 2.5 Student-parent career congruences

Children from privileged backgrounds (both economically and socially) may leverage
social mobility ties to get employment (Hossain,2020). This study was supported by
MACMILLAN (2014), she mentions that graduates whose parents are worked in a top The
National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification (NS-SEC) employment are 4.7 percentage
points more likely to be employed in a top NS-SEC occupation than graduates whose parents
are employed in a regular occupation (30% baseline).

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 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction

The Ministry of Education provided the data for this study. The data come in XLS
format. Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Power BI will be used to process the data sets. The
visualisation will be empowered using a Power BI dashboard.

3.1 Research Design and Approach

3.1.1 Data Source

The employability of college vocational student is the main source of this study.
The data was gain from TVET Division, Education Ministry. However, the data was
collected by Ministry of Higher Education. The survey called “Sistem Kajian
Pengesanan Graduan” (Graduate Tracking Study System) (SKPG). The data comes in
xlsx format and range from 2018 to 2022. There are 24 attributes including
employability status from each program by vocational colleges under MOE. The second
data source also came from MOE TVET Division. The data is about student background
including family income categories and parents’ job.

3.1.2 Data Description

The main body of data comes from a survey known as SKPG. These data set
contain all graduates from each programme that was provided by every vocational
college that was organised by MOE between the years 2018 and 2022. The information
is broken down into the following categories: employed, self-employed, still attending
school, and unemployed. This knowledge that will enhance the outcome of this research.

The second data set is Vocational College Student Information also retrieved
from the MOE TVET Division. The data includes the family income and parents’ job
from the year 2018 to 2022. This information will be utilised to investigate the
relationship between family background factors graduate employability. Poverty Line
Income (PLI) is a widely accepted indicator of family income status in Malaysia. The
PLI data will be utilised to establish a correlation between family background and
graduates’ employability.

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 3.2 Method Selection

This study will use quantitative methods. To answer the research question, two types of
analysis will be used.

3.2.1 Descriptive Analysis

In order to answer the question of what the primary factors are that lead to graduate
employability mismatch from their field of study, descriptive analysis will be used.
Additionally, utilizes descriptive analysis to determine what the graduate salary equivalent
is to their level of qualification.

3.2.2 Correlation Analysis

A correlation study will be carried out in order to determine whether or not there is a
connection between a graduate's family background and the line of work that they choose.
Whereas, the graduate's choice of work will represent as the dependent variable, while the
family background of the graduate will represent as the independent variable.

3.3 Data Visualization

The results of the classification will be displayed via Microsoft Power BI Dashboard,
which analysing the various charts and graphs. This will help in better comprehending the
outcomes of the classification model as well as identifying any weak spots that may benefit
from future enhancement. In addition, the visualisations will assist in the identification of
patterns or trends in the data, which may then be used in potential future study or predictive
analysis.

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 REFERENCES

Ahmad Luthfi Kandar. (2014). Kemahiran Employability Dalam Kalangan Pelajar Kolej
Vokasional Kluang Johor. University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia.

Attorney General’s Chamber of Malaysia. (2020). Minimum Wages Order 2020. Federal
Government Gazette

Dian Hikmah & Mohd Zaidi Mahyuddin. (2017). Outlook and Policy in 2017: Youth
Unemployment in Malaysia: Developments and Policy Considerations. Central Bank
Annual Report 2016. 99-106.Central Bank of Malaysia.

Hanapi, Z., & Nordin, M.S. (2014). Unemployment Among Malaysia graduates: Graduates’
attributes, Lecturers’ Competency and Quality of Education. Procedia - Social and
Behavioral Sciences, 112, 1056 – 1063

Hossain, M. M., Alam, M., Alamgir, M., & Salat, A. (2020). Factors affecting business
graduates' employability–empirical evidence using partial least squares (PLS). Education +
Training, 62(3), 292–310. https://doi.org/10.1108/et-12-2018-0258

MACMILLAN, L. I. N. D. S. E. Y., TYLER, C. L. A. I. R. E., & VIGNOLES, A. N. N. A.

(2014). Who gets the top jobs? the role of family background and networks in recent
graduates’ access to high-status professions. Journal of Social Policy, 44(3), 487–515.
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0047279414000634

Ministry of Education (2020). Surat Siaran Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia Bilangan 9

Tahun 2020 : Perlaksanaan Pentaksiran Sekolah kursus Ke Tingkatan Satu Dan Tingkatan
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Mohd Abdul Kadir, J., Naghavi, N., Subramaniam, G., & A’amilyn Abdul Halim, N.
(2020). Unemployment among graduates - is there a mismatch? International Journal of
Asian Social Science, 10(10), 583–592.
https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.1.2020.1010.583.592

Muhammad, H. (2018). Struktur kurikulum Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan (SMK)/Madrasah

Aliyah Kejuruan (MAK)(Peraturan Direktur Jenderal Pendidikan Dasar dan Menengah
Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan nomor 07/D. D5/KK/2018).

Pekkala, K., & van Zoonen, W. (2022). Work-related social media use: The mediating role of
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2021.03.004

Research and Development Division. (2020) Laporan Kajian Pengesanan Graduan TVET 2019.
Ministry of Higher Education. Putrajaya

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Technical and Vocational Education Training Division (2020). Laporan Kajian Pengesanan
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The Eleventh Malaysia Plan. (2016) Chapter 9 : Ensuring more meaningful economic growth.
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