‘Employers need to be sitting at the table when curriculum is being designed, not clapping politely at the end.’
PETALING JAYA: Universities are struggling to keep pace with rapid shifts in the job market driven by artificial intelligence (AI), automation and global economic uncertainty, leaving graduates increasingly exposed to a widening skill gap, said Berjaya University College acting chief executive Asst Prof Aw Yoke Cheng.
He said the core weakness in higher education lies in the growing divide between classroom theory and workplace realities, with employers reporting that fresh graduates often lack practical exposure, decision-making experience and adaptability.
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“Industry cannot just be a guest speaker at the end of a semester. Employers need to be sitting at the table when curriculum is being designed, not clapping politely at the end.”
He also said universities and policymakers have begun responding through initiatives such as MyMahir, the national AI agenda and TalentCorp workforce studies, but added that the pace of change remains the central challenge.
TalentCorp has estimated that about 620,000 jobs or 18% of the formal sector would be disrupted by AI within five years.
“Many of today’s graduates will enter a market that barely resembles what they prepared for,” said Aw, pointing to geopolitical shocks such as the Middle East conflict, which disrupted the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year, tightened supply chains and pushed oil prices above US$100 (RM397) a barrel.
He said such disruptions trigger economic reactions, including hiring slowdowns, rising costs and shifts in investment priorities.
“The graduates I worry about most are not the ones who lack talent. They are the ones who think a degree is the finish line, because in this environment, the moment you stop learning, you start losing ground.”
Aw said resilience is not built during a crisis but long before it arrives, through discipline and preparation.
“The world does not simply need graduates who can perform when everything is easy. It needs people who can stay calm when plans change, people who can solve problems responsibly and who can lead with integrity when pressure is high.”
He added that employers today struggle most to find character under pressure rather than technical competence.
A 2025 Malaysian study found that soft skills such as communication, teamwork and adaptability accounted for nearly half of the variation in graduate employability.
“What employers really want is someone who can stay calm when the plan falls apart, who treats the people around them with respect even when things are hard and who has the humility to say, ‘I do not know, but I will find out’, rather than bluffing their way through.”
Aw urged graduates not only to be good at their work but to also be good in it.
He said technical skills alone are no longer sufficient as values have become increasingly important in the workplace. He said sustainability is no longer an abstract concept but a factor embedded in business decision-making and long-term planning.
According to him, accountability means owning the full consequences of decisions, not just what appears in monthly reports.
“For a young professional starting their career right now, sustainability is not a module you ticked off in your second year.
“It is a lens you need to apply to every business decision you make because employers, investors and regulators are all asking for it.
“If you only do the right thing when someone is watching, that is not accountability, that is performance.
