Malaysian employees are looking towards their bosses to help them stay 'employable'
Despite ‘feeling’ prepared for the future of work, 63% of Malaysians expect their jobs to be automated in the next five to 10 years.
In a world of work that is radically transformed by digitalisation, the growing skills gap is affecting both employers in finding talent, and employees in staying relevant.
Close to nine in 10 (89%) of employees thus expect employers to invest more in developing their digital capabilities to help them stay employable.
When it comes to sourcing talent, 55% said that their employers are having trouble finding people with the right skills today. Close to two in three (63%) said that it will be more difficult for their employers to find the right talent in the future, according to Randstad’s recent study.
READ MORE: Future of work: Asia unprepared for disruption
In addition, 71% said that their employers have a need for workers with STEM profiles. However, Randstad found the increasing difficulty in filling STEM vacancies: analysis of vacancy data shows that the median advertising duration for a STEM vacancy is more than twice as long compared to a non-STEM vacancy.
“We foresee the shortage of STEM professionals in Malaysia will impact the speed of development in expanding industries such as technology, smart manufacturing and engineering, as well as financial technology,” said Jaya Dass, managing director at Randstad Singapore and Malaysia.
“However, the increasing number of career opportunities that require STEM qualifications will motivate more people to equip themselves with relevant technical skills as they seek to remain employable.
“Companies should [also] start by looking at the skill and talent gaps, invest in training programs to get their workforce up to speed, and help prepare them for the future where job responsibilities are expected to be more complex and sophisticated.”
