Top 40 Courses You Should Choose to Study After SPM or IGCSE/O-Levels that has Future High Job Demand & Salary

Which are the Top Courses with Future Career Security that Students After SPM or IGCSE/O-Levels Need to Identify and Choose

As the digital economy grows and changes rapidly, students after SPM or IGCSE/O-Lemust be prepared to choose courses with jobs that will be in demand in the future as well as still exist. 75 million job roles are expected to disappear by 2022 according to the “Future of Jobs Report 2018” by the World Economic Forum, Furthermore, another 133 million roles are expected to emerge. Between 3.3 million and 6 million jobs are expected to be created in Malaysia by 2030, but with the new age of automation Industrial 4.0, preparation and training are fast becoming the critical factor as the new workforce would need new skills. Jobs that are significantly based on, and enhanced by, the use of technology will increase. However, also expected to grow are job roles based on distinctively ‘human’ traits, such as Customer Service Workers, Sales and Marketing Professionals, Hospitality, Culinary, and Healthcare.

The youth unemployment in Malaysia is at 13.2%. The highest unemployment rate is seen among those aged 15 to 19, at 18.7%, followed by those aged 20 to 24, at 11.9%, according to the Economic Outlook Report 2019 issued by the finance ministry. There are various factors contributing to unemployment among youth in Malaysia. According to the Ministry of Finance (2019), unemployment among youth is due to:

1. lack of work experience
2. lack of skills
3. insufficient education levels
4. skills incompatibility to compete in the labor market

Graduates being left behind, possess outdated information and lacking in relevant skills required by the industry, thus contributing to the rising unemployment rate. Therefore, if you don’t plan carefully, you may end up studying a course that has no job demand after you graduate. This would be an incredible waste of your time and money.

Preparing for the future of work after SPM by choosing the right course is critical to a successful career.  Therefore, to achieve this, the student must plan. Planning ensures a higher chance of success. To make a good plan, you must gather information that is based on facts and evidence so that you can make good choices. Make informed decisions on your choice of study and career choice by talking to knowledgeable and experienced education advisors. By having a view of emerging job trends, it is hoped that students would be inspired to draw up study plans and select career choices and pathways after SPM up to university level that will ensure success in future careers and work environments.

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Do you have any questions for us on this article? Or need advise on choosing the right course and private university? If so, then please fill up the Enquiry Form below. Our team of experts will help you solve your queries at the earliest via WhatsApp.

Why Choose the Right Course After Secondary School?

One of the main aim of getting a university education in Malaysia is to find a stable job so that you can take care of yourself and your family. However, nowadays, with the high cost of living, just finding any job will not do. You will need to find a job that has a high salary.

Keep in mind, that after graduating, you would want to buy a car, a house, and get married and have children. This means that you will need to have enough money to feed yourself, your spouse, children and most probably your parents. Factor in the costs of healthcare, insurance, education, food, travel, saving for your retirement and other day-to-day expenses and all these amount to a lot of money!

Research has shown that possessing high academic results doesn’t guarantee a job, it’s having a good command of the English language, possessing soft skills and choosing the right course.

Look at Job Demand and Trends in Malaysia when Choosing your Course after SPM or IGCSE/O-Levels

By having a view of emerging job trends, it is hoped that Malaysian students after secondary school would be inspired to draw up study plans and select career choices and pathways for their university studies that will ensure success in future careers and work environments.

In recent years, the world has seen technology develop at an accelerated pace, ushering in a new world that calls for the acquirement of new skills. The impact of technology on jobs cannot be understated, with the rise of automation changing the way tasks are carried out, putting jobs in various industries at risk. With COVID-19 now forcing organisations to speed up their adoption of technology, a key question is: Have you chosen a course that will prepare you to face this new digital world?

In today’s ever-changing world, graduates with the right qualification will achieve job security, success and the ability to sustain the lifestyle you desire. In order to be successful in your future career, you need to identify emerging jobs and skills in demand by researching for reliable information on industry trends and occupation requirements. Students after SPM need to learn about the future job scopes and work attributes in demand and then choose courses that will complement your existing skills with those that will be relevant in future.

When choosing a course, it is important for students to look at the job demand to ensure that there would be a job when they graduate. In addition, check out the salary so that you know that the career that you are planning to choose can sustain your future lifestyle.

Industrial Revolution (INR) 4.0 – Top Courses that You Should Study in Malaysia to be Ready for it

In order to be successful in your future career, students need to plan ahead and find out which jobs would be in demand and be relevant. The Industrial Revolution 4.0 has impacted many jobs and rapidly transformed the future of jobs.

Industry 4.0 is signalling a change in the traditional manufacturing landscape. Also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Industry 4.0 encompasses three technological trends driving this transformation: connectivity, intelligence and flexible automation.

Industry 4.0 converges IT (Information Technology) and OT (Operational Technology), to create a cyber-physical environment. This convergence has been made possible thanks to the emergence of digital solutions and advanced technologies, which are often associated with Industry 4.0.

These technologies are helping to drive manufacturing’s digital transformation through the integration of previously disparate systems and processes through interconnected computer systems across the value and supply chain.

Embracing Industry 4.0, digital manufacturing and the interconnectivity that comes with it opens a myriad of benefits for companies, including greater agility, flexibility and operational performance.

What are the implications of these future trends for key aspects of the future workforce and workplace that would concern you as a student? To address this question, we take a closer look at the major factors that are expected to shape the world of work in the coming decades so that you can be prepared by choosing the right course to study so that you will be prepared for a career in the era of Industrial Revolution 4.0 in Malaysia and globally.

In doing so, our objective is not so much to predict the future but rather to understand what are the changes that technology is impacting jobs of the future. When we understand the future trends, we will know which courses to choose that will enable us to hone our skills to obtain a job that has high demand and salary.

What are the Top 40 Courses with Future High Job Demand that You Should Choose After SPM?

Many of the fastest growing jobs and predicted future ones are driven by technology development, increased Internet connectivity, rapid globalisation and new business demands.

Tech skills are required in jobs across industries in different roles and functions and this is expected to create demand for tech-based or tech-related jobs.

Jobs like artificial intelligence specialists and data scientists are required across industries to help organisations and businesses be more efficient in delivering their products and services, and be more responsive to customer demands in anticipated increased competition.

Existing jobs like content creators are now being taken to the next level and being given new dimensions by technology to reach a wider audience through multiple channels and platforms.

New jobs like privacy officers cater to the privacy and security concerns of personal data being put on commercial platforms driven by the popularity of e-commerce.

Job roles based on technological innovation, like software and applications developers, and roles requiring distinctly “human” traits, like marketing or hospitality professionals, are expected to grow in the coming years. Here are the top 40 courses with future high job for students after SPM to consider

1. Cyber Security
2. Data Science or Data Analytics
3. Artificial Intelligence (Ai) or Intelligent Systems
4. Robotics
5. Cloud Computing
6. Internet of Things (IoT)
7. Computer Science
8. Software Engineering or Programming
9. Information Technology (IT) or Information Communications Technology
10. Mobile Computing
11. Network ComputingComputer Games Development or Games Design
12. Accounting & Finance
13. Actuarial Science
14. Banking & Finance
15. Finance and Financial Technology (Fintech)
16. Chemical Engineering
17. Civil Engineering
18. Electrical & Electronic Engineering
19. Mechanical Engineering
20. Mechatronic Engineering
21. Petroleum Engineering
22. Telecommunications Engineering
23. Accounting or Accounting & Finance
24. Digital Marketing and Marketing
25. eBusiness
26. Human Resource Management (HRM)
27. Architecture
28. Interior Architecture or Interior Design
29. Quantity Survey (QS)
30. Mass Communication – Public Relations, Advertising & Brand Management
31. Film, TV, Video or Broadcasting
32. Logistics Management and Supply Chain Management,
33. Culinary Arts – Baking or Patisserie 
34. Events Management
35. Hotel Management
36. Computer Games Development or Game Design
37. Medical Lab Technology (MLT)
38. Medical Imaging
39. Nursing
40. Physiotherapy
41. Animation
42. Graphic Design
43. Multimedia Design or Advertising Design
44. Augmented Reality (AR) / Virtual Reality (VR)

Rapid Change in Technology Impacting Jobs of the Future

With the evolution of technology, the current job landscape in Malaysia has changed drastically. In many industries and countries, the current in-demand occupations or specialties did not exist 10 or even five years ago. The rise of technology has led to a disruption in the way we work and live. The Digital Era has changed the way we work.

Malaysia government’s focus was also in line with its efforts to meet the challenges of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) that requires highly skilled human capital. More new job opportunities would emerge as the digital revolution unfolded, and cited the World Economic Forum’s estimate that 65% of the workforce will work in the yet to be created job sector because it requires digital skills.

As the digital economy grows, Malaysia must be prepared to choose jobs that will be in demand in the future as well as still exist. 75 million job roles are expected to disappear by 2022 according to the “Future of Jobs Report 2018” by the World Economic Forum,. Furthermore, another 133 million roles are expected to emerge.

In 2017, the McKinsey Global Institute found that about half the activities people are paid to do could potentially be automated using technologies that exist today. While few occupations can be entirely automated, 60% of all occupations have at least 30% of constituent activities that can be automated.

Some of the biggest changes will occur in jobs that require routine physical activity in a predictable setting, such as operating machinery or preparing food. About 50% of the work time in Malaysia is spent on these types of highly automatable activities.”

McKinsey says its study indicates that by 2030, automation could displace up to 25% of hours (equivalent to about 4.5 million workers) in Malaysia. Yet, the country’s job outlook is ultimately promising as the job losses will be more than offset by the demand for new skills and labour.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), artificial intelligence (AI), innovation, automation, Internet of Things (IOT) and other technological advancement would impact all industries. The Industry 4.0 will change the kinds of jobs needed across all market sectors. Therefore, students must possess the right skills to value-add, creative, empathetic and interactive in a technology-driven job landscape.

Malaysia has a high unemployment rate among its graduates. Thus, it is vital for students to consider carefully in the early stages which courses that would lead to jobs that will be high in demand in future. Ask advise from knowledgeable and experienced counselors who can assess you, advise you with evidence based information and guide you to the best course that suits you.

Choosing the Right Course, Possessing Soft Skills & Having a Good Command Increases Your Chances of Employability

In a research, commissioned by the Ministry of Women and Family and Community Development, it was found that there was very little variation in CGPA between employed and unemployed graduates. This explains why the overall academic performance did not affect the chance of becoming employed graduates. On the other hand, graduates who had higher English proficiencies were employed compared to unemployed graduates.

The study showed that having good grades did not guarantee employment for Malaysian graduates. Therefore, graduates must have a good command of English and other soft skills such as analytical thinking, intelligence, independence, leadership, communication and computer skills and work experience.

The results showed that the chance of being employed rose with an increase in English proficiency. The only significant personality variable is leadership and technical skills and this variable consisted of constructs such as possessing analytical thinking, being intelligent, independent, having leadership skills, communication and computer skills and possessing work experience.

Most of these challenges are more pronounced for graduates who come from rural areas because they are less exposed to speaking in English and almost all of them study in the public universities where Bahasa Malaysia is used as the medium of instruction.

In another study by the Ministry of Higher Education on the National Graduate Employability, Prospective employers complain of fresh Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) graduates lacking the  prerequisite attributes; more than 50% of fresh graduates are deemed to be unsatisfactory in English  communication skills, and yet, many of these young, inexperienced job-seekers expect unrealistically high starting salaries.

Currently, deficiencies are seen in the areas of communication, ICT knowledge, and professional and technical skills which have resulted in an insufficient supply of employable graduates. This situation is further aggravated by university students not pursuing fields of study that are relevant to industry

Every year about 180,000 students graduate with diplomas and degrees from institutions of higher learning. The most common problems identified by employers are:

• poor command of English (55.8%)
• poor character, attitude or personality (37.4%)
• asking for unrealistic salary/benefits (33%)
• mismatch of skills (30.2%)
• choosy in job/company (27.7%)
• no demonstrated ability to solve problems (25.9%)
• skill knowledge not in-depth enough (23.8%)

As the main demand of industry is to employ graduates who are GSA (Generic Student Attribute) centred, from the above it is obvious that these skills are lacking among fresh graduates.