PETALING JAYA: The number of PhD graduates increased from 1,247 in 2010 to 4,560 in 2020. However, the rate of unemployment for doctorate holders under 35 has increased from 7% in 2010 to 16% in 2020.
In a Graduate Tracer Study in 2021, the Higher Education Ministry recorded that out of 2,501 PhD graduates, 63 or 2.5% were waiting for job placements and 220 or 8.8% were unemployed.
Human capital consultant Usha Devi Arumugam said employers need to know the work history of PhD graduates seeking employment.
“There could be a mismatch in their qualifications and what the industry is looking for,” she told theSun.
Usha Devi said the job market might not see the added value of PhD degrees.
She added that talent seekers and human resource personnel may ask for additional skills and expertise within the field of PhD qualification compared with the skills and expertise of employees who have a Master’s or Bachelor’s degree, diploma or even a certificate.
“Some PhD graduates are not willing to take a step back in their careers and because of this, the industry might find them overqualified to take on vacant positions.”
She added that generally, getting a PhD is not required in most industries besides academia as well as research and development areas.
“So, PhD holders appeal to a small section of the industry and are sought for employment in very specific fields.
“For jobs that do not need specific academic requirements, working experience matters more than academic achievements. In the end, employers want to know more about the added value and skill sets that a future employee would bring to the company.”
Human resource and talent recruitment specialist Nurul Izzah Abdul Salam said most unemployed PhD graduates may not have enough working experience, which may be unappealing to job recruiters.
“PhD holders who graduated before they reached 35 years understand theory and knowledge in their respective fields. However, they may not be skilled in resolving practical problems.
“There have been cases where these graduates were too demanding about salaries. Nowadays, companies may employ a degree holder with the skills that they require rather than pay more for a person with high qualifications but requires training.
“In reality, hiring an employee with mastery in a third or fourth language is more valuable than hiring a person who possesses a PhD qualification.”
Nurul Izzah said to combat this, the authorities must encourage students who want to pursue higher education to have some working experience and encourage part-time studies.
“Apart from that, the government through the Higher Education Ministry must encourage universities to implement vocational courses and ensure that graduates possess industrial skills.
“To make the hiring of employees holding advanced degrees more attractive, the government could subsidise wages as a way to compensate employers for their investment in training the recruits.”
