BANK Negara’s findings in its 2018 Annual Report that real monthly salaries for fresh graduates holding a diploma or degree have dipped since 2010 will come as a significant blow to the confidence of Malaysians on the realities of securing jobs in the country. While parents still see the need for tertiary education, the uncertainty of employment, low salaries and volatile economy will be a damper in its value.
The current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies, popularly known as Industry 4.0 (IR4.0), will further add to this uncertainty. At present, while unskilled or entry level jobs such as frontline sales and telemarketing may tide things over for those who are unable to secure positions they have studied for, the increase in autonomous machines and smart bots will soon replace the need for human interaction in these fields.
