List of Top 20 Courses to Study in Malaysia after Pre-U or Foundation with Guaranteed Job Security
The Right Choice for a Better Future with EduSpiral
20 Degree Courses that Guarantee Good Jobs in the Next 10 Years
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 of the Industrial Revolution INR 4.0 has changed the way we work and live. Therefore, the course that you choose need to prepare you for the future job that’s filled with technological advancements.
What are you going to study? What career do you want? Which education path are you going to follow to get there? These are the life-changing questions that need well thought out answers after your secondary school. While secondary and university education is about more than just career preparation, what are the necessary skills that will help you to find and keep a job in the future?
Malaysian students who explore, research and plan their potential future lives in work are much better placed to make decisions that are right for them and compete for available jobs when they graduate.
An experienced Education Advisor would be invaluable in assisting you to choose the right course. Students need to talk to the right education counselors so that you get the right information to help you in making this life-changing decision.. The best courses to study are those that have a future high job demand and salary, as well as, suited to your academic knowledge and skills.
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Which are the Best 20 Courses to Study in Malaysia?
Renee Tan, Mechanical Engineering at Heriot-Watt University Malaysia
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is changing the work landscape across all industries, worldwide. The World Economic Forum reports that this could see the displacement of 75 million jobs due to the adoption of new technologies and structural changes in the labour market. However, it also predicted the simultaneous emergence of 133 million new jobs. The key for future success for students after secondary school is to carve a career path that takes advantage of these technological changes but can’t be replaced by them.
By 2030, roles in office support, food service, production and machine operations, and mechanical installation and repairs will have all but disappeared in the US, with similar trends happening in South Africa and the rest of the world. The jobs that will continue to be in demand include health professionals, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) specialists, creatives, managers, and those in education or workforce training.
You can also expect a rise in jobs that don’t exist yet to meet new or growing needs, such as climate change and environmental issues, or to cater to the longer life expectancy of the global population. Imagine a career change to become a solar power or wind turbine specialist, or reinventing yourself as an urban farmer. Those are recognisable professions with a niche twist, but there are predictions that future roles such as AI psychologist, drone manager, or a quantum data analyst will also exist. There should also be significant growth in health and wellness professionals that can assist in taking care of Malaysia’s ageing population, keeping everyone fit and healthy, and offering the special care and bedside manners missing from machines and robots.
The future of work looks dynamic and exciting. New careers and ways of working are opening up as new technology is introduced, globalisation continues and we adjust to challenges like COVID-19. These changes will reshape the nature of work itself. By having access to this information, students will be better prepared to make informed career decisions. This will not only help you to manage future risks, but also to maximise future opportunities.
Have You Chosen a Course that’s Future Proof?
Kar Jun (Left), Accounting graduate from Asia Pacific University (APU)
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.
Part of finding the right career in Malaysia for you will be looking at the future job demand in Malaysia and globally. You don’t want to have completed a degree course and then not be able to find a job or realise that the job pays very low salary. Therefore, it is important for students after high school or Pre-University to choose the right course to study – you don’t want to waste your time and money on a course you don’t want to do or worse being unemployed finding out that the course you have studied does not have any job demand.
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!
Top 20 Courses to Study in Malaysia
Bernice, Digital Marketing at Taylor’s University
There are hundreds of courses to choose from after completing your Pre-University or Foundation. However, the courses all have different career prospects as some have higher job demand and salary while others are less. Choosing the right degree programme that will enhance your chances of getting a job after graduation.
To help you decide which course that has a future job demand with high salaries in Malaysia, I have researched and made a list for you to consider.
- Computing & Information Technology (IT)
- Artificial Intelligence (Ai) or Intelligent Systems
- Bioinformatics
- Blockchain
- Business Information Systems (BIS)
- Cloud Computing
- Computer Engineering
- Computer Games Development or Games Design
- Computer Science
- Computer Security
- Computing
- Cyber Security
- Database Administration
- Data Science or Data Analytics
- Forensic Computing
- Information Technology (IT) or Information Communications Technology
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Mobile Computing
- Network Computing
- Programming
- Robotics
- Software Engineering
- Systems Security
- Financial Services
- Engineering
- Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Electrical & Electronic Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Electronic Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Mechatronic Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Optical Engineering
- Petroleum Engineering
- Robotics & Automation Engineering
- Telecommunications Engineering
- Accounting
- Marketing
- Business & Management
- Built Environment
- Communications
- Logistics
- Culinary Arts
- Hospitality & Tourism
- Game Technology
- Medical
- Healthcare
- Design
- Applied Sciences
- Humanities
- Social Sciences
- Creative Arts
- Performing Arts
- Music
- Education
Half of Malaysians work in jobs unrelated to their degrees
Darren, Finance & Investment Graduate
What you study at university is unlikely to be what you end up doing as a career, with latest YouGov research showing that half (51%) of Malaysian graduates work in jobs unrelated to their degrees. The remaining half (49%) work in jobs related to their degrees.
This isn’t the same across all degrees, however. Those who studied information and communication technology are more likely to end up working in a related field, compared with those who studied business, administration and law. Three in five (58%) of those who studied information and communication technology ended up working in jobs relevant to their degree, as opposed to just two in five of those who did business (39%), administration and law.
Other factors also seem to affect whether someone moves into a job linked to their degree. Those who studied abroad (18%) are more likely than those who studied locally (82%) (56% vs. 48%) to work in jobs related to their degree. Older Malaysians (aged 45 to 54) are also more likely than their younger compatriots (aged 25 to 34) to work in jobs relevant to their degree (59% vs. 47%).
Overall, six in ten (62%) Malaysians find their degrees ‘very useful’. A third (35%) find them somewhat useful, and the remaining 4% find them useless.
When choosing a degree half (49%) were influenced by their parents when selecting their field of study. The rest were influenced by their friends (32%), by themselves (28%) or by their teachers (25%).
The vast majority (97%) of graduates agree that having a university degree is important. Assuming the position of an employer, a quarter (23%) would be unwilling to hire someone without a university degree. Two in five (40%) would be willing, and the remaining third (37%) thinks it makes no difference.
Do your Research and Find the Most in Demand Job with High Salary in Malaysia so that you can Choose the Right Course to Study
Bryan & Wen Kai, Fintech at Asia Pacific University (APU)
The International Labor Organization has estimated that almost 300 million jobs are at risk due to the coronavirus pandemic. Of those that are lost, almost 40% will not come back. According to research by the University of Chicago, they will be replaced by automation to get work done more safely and efficiently.
Particularly at risk are so-called “frontline” jobs – customer service, cashiers, retail assistant, and public transport being just a few examples. But no occupation or profession is entirely future proof. Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), even tasks previously reserved for highly trained doctors and lawyers – diagnosing illness from medical images, or reviewing legal case history, for example – can now be carried out by machines.
At the same time, the World Economic Forum, in its 2020 Future of Jobs report, finds that 94% of companies in the UK will accelerate the digitization of their operations as a result of the pandemic, and 91% are saying they will provide more flexibility around home or remote working.
The world of work is in constant change. Email, video conferencing, and cloud sharing are now the norm and millions of people now work in the gig economy, rather than on structured payrolls. But perhaps the greatest debate about the future of work is centered on automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics, and their potential effects on jobs.
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.
Furthermore, the ever-increasing cost of living in Malaysia is making it challenging for fresh graduates and working professionals to support their lifestyle. In light of that, it would be important for students to plan ahead what career that you want to enter into so that you can choose a course that has future job demand and high salary in Malaysia.
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 as early as schooling years up to university level that will ensure success in future careers and work environments.
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.
Choose the Right Course based on Facts & Evidence
Min Yi, Human Resource Management at Asia Pacific University (APU)
And to get a job with a high salary, you need to choose a degree course that has a high job demand and salary. Therefore, you have to do your research in choosing a course that has high job demand and salary. s
Malaysian students are exposed to the internet and to the jobs from overseas countries such as the USA or UK. Many don’t realise that some of these courses are not in demand in Malaysia or may not command a high salary. A lot of students after SPM or O-Levels just blindly follow their friends to the university taking any course as long as they can be with their friends.
Some students choose the course based on the advise of their parents, relatives or friends. Some of their advise could be valuable but some are simply just not based on facts or evidence of good career prospects. Students must check the advise given by so called agents & counsellors, and their friends and relatives to make sure what they said is true and supported by facts and evidence.
