KUALA LUMPUR: Some 70% of public universities and institutes of higher learning graduates in the country are unemployed.

This is in contrast with 26% for private institutions of higher learning and 34% for foreign graduates.

Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Bakar revealed the figures today (July 3, 2006) in reply to a question from Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor).

He said the ministry had taken several steps, including the establishment of the graduates' retraining training scheme as well as providing feedback to the Higher Education and the Education Ministries, to ensure courses are in line with those required by the job market.

To the original question by Tan Sri Dr Ting Chew Peh (BN-Gopeng), Abdul Rahman said 20,217 graduates registered with the ministry's Job Clearing System were still unemployed as at June 12.

The breakdown showed UiTM as having the highest number of unemployed graduates with 3,278 (16.2%) followed by UUM 1,532 (7.6%), private institutions of higher learning 1,217 (6%), UTM 1,147(5.7%), UKM 971 (4.8%), UPM 919 (4.5%), other public institutions of higher learning 840 (4.2%), UM 531 (2.6%), USM 505 (2.5%), UMS 371 (1.8%), UIA 358 (1.8%), foreign graduates 342 (1.7%), Unimas 174 (0.9%), UPSI 39 (0.2%) and others 7,993 (39.5%).

Abdul Rahman said the breakdown according to job sector showed ICT with the highest number of unemployed graduates with 3,942 (19.5%) yet to find jobs.

This is followed by Business Administration with 2,714 (13.4%), Accountancy 1,923 (9.5%), Electric/Electronic and Telecommunication engineers 1,229 (6.1%), Human Resources Management 1,022 (5.1%), Civil Engineers 983 (4.9%), Mechanical/Mechatronic Engineers 884 (4.4%), Literature Social Science 843 (4.2%), Pure Science 770 (3.8%), Financial/banking/insurance/investment/property 613 (3%), Office technology Management/Information management/Library Management 552 (2.7%), Architecture/Building/Quantity Surveying/ land surveying 540 (2.7%), Applied Science 533 (2.6%), Economy 440 (2.2%), Agriculture/Forestry, Fisheries/Environment 401 (2%) and others 2,828 (13.9%).

Abdul Rahman said apart from the job clearing system, other measures had also been taken by the government to reduce the number of unemployed graduates in the country.