Many youth are not fully benefitting from Johor’s rapid economic growth, despite the increasing opportunities expected from major initiatives such as the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).
Iskandar Regional Development Authority (Irda) head of liveability and community Kamisah Mohd Ghazali said there remained gaps between the skills employers needed and what many young people were bringing to the workforce.
“The challenge is not merely academic qualifications but whether youth are equipped with communication, interpersonal and leadership skills that would allow them to thrive in a fast-changing job market.
“Right now, with the JS-SEZ, we need a lot of ready talent and cannot wait until they graduate.
“They need to develop those skills now,” she said.
Speaking at the Johor Youth Forum at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Skudai, Kamisah said employers today expect young hires to contribute immediately upon starting work, rather than the youth expecting to rely on constant guidance.
She added that the lack of communication and interpersonal skills among youth were among the biggest gaps, noting that technical knowledge alone was no longer enough.
“If you are not able to communicate with another engineer, that is a problem,” she said, adding that teamwork, confidence and problem-solving abilities were equally important.
The forum was organised by International Association of Students in Economic and Commercial Sciences (Aiesec), a youth-led, non-governmental and non-profit organisation focused on developing young leadership potential.
Aiesec Johor Baru president Beh Yong Xiang, 21, said many youth were aware of current trends, but were not sufficiently prepared to adapt to future developments.
He said young people needed to become more self-aware and keep up with changes happening around them so they could develop the right skills for the evolving economy.
“They need to be aware of the trends and opportunities in their regions and then see how they can build their own skills to adapt with the economic growth.
“They also need to be ready for feedback and have the mindset to continuously learn.”
Beh also highlighted critical thinking as an essential skill, saying the youth of today should not simply react to changes but learn how to leverage available resources and opportunities.
According to him, the forum aimed to expose participants to leadership development, networking opportunities and industry perspectives while preparing them for the demands of Johor’s evolving economy.
