KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- Young people hope Budget 2027 will go beyond financial allocations by providing concrete measures to tackle job mismatch and boost youth economic mobility.
Scouts Association of Malaysia National Commissioner (Strategic Planning) Zairin Adam Abdul Aziz said the gap between graduates' skills and current job market needs was becoming increasingly pressing as digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) continued to reshape the employment landscape.
He said skills mismatch and underemployment among the local young workforce were currently at worrying levels.
"The most critical matter is actually the youths' ability to achieve economic mobility, which requires a clear policy direction from both the government and the community.
"What is urgent today is restructuring career matching so that graduates' qualifications genuinely align with the reality and actual needs of the industry," he said when appearing as a guest on Bernama TV's Ruang Bicara programme titled ‘Budget 2027: Shaping the Future of Youth’ here tonight.
Echoing this view, Malaysian Indian Youth Council (MIYC) Women's Commission deputy chairman Shameera Nasreen Ahamed Noordeen said the cost of living and labour market competition often 'force' youths to accept any job for the sake of survival.
"These jobs are taken to cover the cost of living, family financial burdens and the repayment of National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans.
"Besides income issues, the provision of affordable housing and control of residential rental rates in high economic impact areas such as Penang also need serious attention in the upcoming budget," she said.
On the AI boom, Shameera Nasreen said the technology was not a threat but could instead create new career opportunities, such as prompt engineers, provided youths were able to master the technology rather than be controlled by it.
She suggested that the government strengthen strategic partnerships with industry players to fund upskilling and reskilling programmes, as they were typically more agile in adapting to the latest technologies.
Both youth figures are the 2026 National Level National Premier Youth Award (APBN) champions for the male and female categories, respectively.
Budget 2027 will be tabled on Oct 9.
-- BERNAMA