critical occupations list 2017/2018 - talentcorp · institute of labour market information and...

Institute of Labour Market Information and Analysis (ILMIA)

MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Critical Occupations List 2017/2018 | Occupation Report 1

UPDATED AND PUBLISHED ON 14th APRIL 2018 BY

CSC Critical Skills Monitoring Committee

CRITICAL OCCUPATIONS LIST 2017/2018 OCCUPATION REPORT

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=jata+negara&view=detail&id=D148EF08C33F3CDFA5F6CDB951D203B37E6AD064&FORM=IDFRIR




Table of Contents

OCCUPATIONS ON THE 2017/2018 CRITICAL OCCUPATIONS LIST .................................................... 3

DOVETAILING REPORTS OF OCCUPATIONS ON THE 2017/2018 CRITICAL OCCUPATIONS LIST .... 12

DOVETAILING REPORTS OF OCCUPATIONS EXCLUDED FROM THE 2017/2018 CRITICAL

OCCUPATIONS LIST ......................................................................................................................... 128

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................. 193





OCCUPATIONS ON THE 2017/2018 CRITICAL OCCUPATIONS LIST The Critical Occupations List (COL) shows occupations that are skilled, sought-after, and strategic

across 18 sectors in Malaysia.

Table 10: Critical Occupations List – Full List (58 Occupations)

No. Critical Occupation

(MASCO Code) Additional Information

1 Managing Director and Chief Executive (1121)

The following job titles within this occupation are included:

• Chief Executive Officer; Chief Operating Officer; Executive Director; Company

Director; Deputy Executive Director Managing Director; Radio & Television

Manager (Programme); Director-General of Organization; Manager; General

Manager; Operations Manager; Director; Administrator; President; Chief

Technical Officer; Technical Manager; Head of Operation

2 Finance Manager (1211)


• Finance Manager; Account Manager; Budget Manager; Audit Manager; Credit

Manager; Chief Financial Officer; Insurance Manager; Transaction Monitoring

Manager; Claim Manager; Finance Director; Risk Manager; Head of

Procurement; Risk Modelling Manager; Actuarial Valuation Manager

3 Policy and Planning Manager (1213)


• Policy and Planning Manager; Strategic Planning Manager; Corporate Planning

Manager; Project Planning Manager; Project Leader

4 Business Service Manager (1214)


• Production Manager; Production and Business Operation Manager; Business

Services Development Manager; Production Planner; Business Development

Manager

5

Business Services and Administration Manager Not Elsewhere Classified (1219)

ALL job titles within this occupation are included, for example:

• Corporate Services Manager; Facilities Manager; Purchasing Manager; Quality

Assurance Manager; Quality Control Manager








6 Sales and Marketing Manager (1221)


• Sales Manager; Sales and Marketing Manager; Marketing Manager; Market

Research Manager; Product Manager; Brand Manager; Outlet Manager; Sales

Director

7 Research and Development Manager (1223)


• Research and Development Manager; Product Development Manager

8 Manufacturing Manager (1321)


• Manufacturing Manager; Production and Operation Manager, Manufacturing;

Factory Manager; Production Manager-Food Processing; Welding Manager

9 Construction Manager (1323)


• Construction Manager; Project Manager; Site Manager; Land Surveyor Manager; Electrical Manager; Energy Manager

10 Supply, Distribution and Related Manager (1324)


• Transport Manager; Supply Manager; Distribution Manager; Logistics Manager

11

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Manager (1511)


• Information Systems Manager; Information Technology Manager; Computer

Services Manager; ICT Development Manager; Information Technology Project

Manager; Information Technology Sales Manager; Information Technology

Business Development Manager

12 Chemist (2113)


• Chemist; Chemist (Research and Development); Chemist (Quality Control)








13 Geologist and Geophysicist (2114)


• Geophysicist; Geologist; Geological Engineer; Geoscientist

14 Mathematician, Actuary and Statistician (2121)


• Mathematician (Actuarial Science); Statistician (Economics); Statistician (Market

Research); Data Scientist; Data Analyst; Data Mining Analyst; Big Data and

Analytic; Appointed Actuary; Pricing Actuary; Valuation Actuary; Geographic

Information Systems (GIS); Geomatician; Metrologist

15 Industrial and Production Engineer (2141)


• Automation Engineer; Robotics Engineer; Industrial Engineer; Production

Engineer; Systems Design Engineer; Systems Engineer (Except Computers); Cost

Evaluation Engineer; Packaging Technologist; Ceramics Technologist; Material

Specialist Packaging Engineer and Weaving Technologist

16 Civil Engineer (2142)


• Civil Engineering Technologist; Civil Engineer; Site Engineer; Construction Civil

Engineer; Structural Engineer; Railway Construction Civil Engineer (including

High Speed Rail specialised engineers); Civil Engineer (Hydrology); Maintenance

Engineer; Geotechnical Engineer

17 Mechanical Engineer (2144)


• Mechanical Engineer; Machinery and Tools Industrial Engineer; Locomotive

Engine Engineer; Steam Engineer; Equipment Engineer; Mechanical

Maintenance Engineer; Fabrication Engineer; R&D Engineers; CNC Machining

Engineer

18 Chemical Engineer (2145)


• Chemical Engineer; Food and Drinks Technologist








19

Mining Engineer, Metallurgists and Related Professional (2146)


• Mining Engineer; Reservoir Engineer; Material (and Non-destructive Testing)

Engineer; Water Management Engineer; Product Design R&D Engineer

20

Engineering Professionals (Excluding Electrotechnology) Not Elsewhere Classified (2149)


• Quantity Surveyor; Project Engineer; Process Engineer; Quality Assurance

Engineer; Quality Control Engineer; Research Engineer; Materials Engineer;

Safety Engineer; Industrial Health and Safety Engineer; Quality Engineer;

Procurement Engineer; Survey Engineer

21 Electrical Engineer (2151)


• Electrical Engineer; Electrical Testing Engineer; Embedded System/ Firmware

Engineer; Test/Measurement Engineer (Electric); R&D Electrical Engineer

(includes Product Design)

22 Electronic Engineer (2152)


• Electronics Engineer; Computer Engineer, Software; Computer Engineer,

Hardware; Systems Engineer; Information Technology Engineer; Automation

Design Engineer; Analog Integrated Circuit (IC) Designer; Digital Integrated

Circuit (IC) Designer; CAD/CAM Engineer; Test/Measurement Engineer

(Electronic); Assistant Mechatronic Engineer

23 Telecommunications Engineer (2153)


• Network and System Engineer; Telecommunication Engineer;

Telecommunication Engineer (Radar)

24 Ships Engineer (2171)


• Ship Engineer; Marine Engineer, Aircraft Engineer; Aircraft Design Engineer








25 Aircraft Pilot and Related Professional (2173)

The following job title within this occupation is included:

• Pilot

26 Manufacturing Professional (2182)


• Manufacturing Executive; Quality Assurance Executive; Quality Control

Executive; Production Executive; Warehouse Executive; Maintenance Executive;

Product Quality Controller; Supply Chain/ Procurement Specialist;

Manufacturing Engineer; Technical Executive

27 Specialist Medical Practitioner (2212)


• Psychiatrist; Paediatrician; Dermatologist; Orthopaedic Surgeon;

Ophthalmologist; Interventional Radiologist; Vascular Surgeon; Haematology

Paediatrician; Urologist; Gastroenterology Paediatrician

28

Environmental and Occupational Health and Hygiene Professional (2263)


• Hazardous Waste Management Technologist; Occupational Health and Safety

Officer; Safety and Health Officer; Industrial Safety Officer - Occupational Safety

and Health; Occupational Safety Officer; Radiation Protection Expert; Waste

Management Competence Person; Building Auditor

29

University and Higher Education Professional Teacher (2311)


• University Lecturer; College Lecturer

30 Accountant (2411)


• Auditing Accountant; Accountant; Tax Accountant; Tax Consultant;

Management Accountant; Company Accountant; Account Executive; Financial

Controller; Account Receivable Executive; Assistant Account Executive Officer;

Auditor; Payroll Analyst; Adjuster








31 Financial Analyst (2413)


• Financial Analyst; Investment Consultant; Research Analyst; Financial Officer;

Risk Management Officer; Transfer Pricing; Credit Risk Management

32 Research and Development Professional (2426)

The following job title within this occupation are included:

• Research and Development Executive

33 Public Relations Professional (2432)


• Industrial Relations Executive; Public Relations Executive; Corporate

Communication Executive; Customer Service Officer; Sales Reservation

Executive; Front Office Officer.

34

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Sales Professional (2434)


• Sales Representative, Information and Communications Technology; Product

Support Engineer; Information Technology Sales Engineer; Customer Support

Representative

35 Systems Analyst (2511)


• Computer Systems Analyst; IT Systems Consultant; Information Technology

Consultant; Information Technology Business Analyst; Information Technology

Security Analyst; Information Technology Specialist (.Net); System Engineer

(Oracle); Security Analyst (IT); Computer and System Administrator; Tera Data

36 Software Developer (2512)


• Software Developer; .Net Developer; Software Engineer (.Net); C/C++ Software

Engineer; Java Developer; Web Programmer (PHP); Software Engineer

(SharePoint) (IT); Software Design Engineers; SAP Application Developer; Data

Visualization Developer

37 Applications Programmer (2514)


• Computer Programmer; Software Programmer; Technical Programmer;

Information Technology Programmer; Systems Programmer; Analyst

Programmer; Applications Programmer; C/C++ Programmer; Java Programmer








38

Software and Applications Developer Not Elsewhere Classified (2519)


• Software Tester; Quality Engineer (IT); Solution Architect (IT); Software QA

Engineer (IT)

39 Databases and Administrator (2521)


• Database Architect; Database Administrator; Internal Auditor (IT)

40 Systems Administrator (2522)


• Information Technology Support Officer; Systems Administrator; Information

Technology Executive; System Engineer (IT); System Support Specialist;

Customer Support Engineer; Technical Support Engineer (IT)

41 Computer Network Professional (2523)

The following job title within this occupation are included:

• Network Engineer

42 Electrical Engineering Technician (3113)


• Electrical Engineering Technician; Electrical Supervisor; Electrical Technician

43 Electronics Engineering Technician (3114)


• Electronics Engineering Technician; Test Technician; CAD/CAM Technician

44 Mechanical Engineering Technician (3115)


• Technician (Mechanical) Grade J17; Mechanical Engineering Technician;

Mechanical Engineering Technician; Industrial Machinery and Tools; Mechanical

Engineering Technician; Motors and Engines; Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning

System Engineering Technician; Machinery Technician; CNC Technician;

Mechanical Technician; CNC Supervisor








45

Physical and Engineering Science Technician Not Elsewhere Classified (3119)


• Quantity Surveying Technician; Production Engineering Technician; Process

Technician; Maintenance Technician Quality Control Technician; Industrial

Technician; Industrial Maintenance Technician; Production Technician;

Moulding Technician; Equipment Technician; Quality Assurance Engineering

Technician

46 Manufacturing Supervisor (3122)


• Manufacturing Supervisor; Production Supervisor; Compounding Supervisor;

Plywood Inspection Supervisor; Manufacturing Area Co-ordinator; Quality

Control Inspector

47 Construction Supervisor (3123)


• Operation Supervisor; Project Supervisor; Construction Supervisor; Site

Supervisor; Site Coordinator

48 Aircraft Technician (3151)


• Aircraft Technician; Aviation Maintenance Technician; Aircraft Maintenance

Technician (Airframes); Aircraft Maintenance Technician (Engines)

49

Environmental and Occupational Health Inspector and Associate (3257)


• Safety and Health Technician; Safety and Health Inspector; Field Supervisor

(Occupational Safety and Health); Food Inspector

50 Insurance Underwriter* (3321)


• Insurance Underwriter; Insurance Consultant

51

Commercial Sales Agent (3322)


• Technical Sales Agent; Technical Adviser; Sales Engineer; Technical Sales

Engineer; Social Media Marketing Executive; Digital Marketing Executive








52 Buyer (3323)


• Purchasing Executive; Buyer; Buyer (Production Purchasing); Procurement

Executive

53 Computer Network and Systems Technician (3513)


• Network Support Technician; System Security & Application ICT Technician

54 CNC Machinist** (7233)

The following job title within this occupation is included:

• CNC Machinist

55 Electrical Mechanic and Fitter (7412)


• High Voltage Restriction Chargeman; Wireman; Electrical Generator Operator;

Lift Mechanic; Chargeman

56 Rubber Products Machine Operator (8141)


• Maker, (Tyre); Machine Operator (Rubber Products); Mill (Rubber)

57

Stationary Plant and Machine Operator Not Elsewhere Classified (8189)


• Machine Operator; Production Operator

58 Heavy Truck and Lorry Driver (8332)


• Lorry Driver; Truck Driver; Tanker Driver; Driver Operator (Mobile Harbour

Crane H11)

Note: The Critical Occupations List (COL) is constructed based on the Malaysia Standard Classification of Occupations (MASCO) 2013

Source: Authors.

*Based on MASCO Code 3321-03, under MASCO Code 3321 (Insurance Agents)

**Based on MASCO Code 7233-15, under MASCO Code 7233 (Agricultural and Industrial Machinery Mechanics and Repairers)





DOVETAILING REPORTS OF OCCUPATIONS ON THE 2017/2018 CRITICAL OCCUPATIONS

LIST

Occupation: Managing Director and Chief Executive

MASCO 2013 (4-Digit Code): 1121

MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 1121-01; 1121-02; 1121-03; 1121-04; 1121-05; 1121-06; 1121-11; 1121-12; 1121-15; 1121-20; 1121-21; 1121-23; 1121-24; 1121-25; 1121-26; 1121-27; 1121-28; 1121-32

Only the following job titles within this occupation are included in the Critical Occupations List (COL):

Chief Executive Officer; Chief Operating Officer; Executive Director; Company Director; Deputy Executive Director; Managing Director; Radio & Television Manager (Programme); Director-General of Organization; Manager; General Manager; Operations Manager; Director; Administrator; President; Chief Technical Officer; Technical Manager; Head of Operation

2015 No

2016 Yes

This occupation appears on COL:

Top-down indicators Passes 4 out of 11 indicators

Bottom-up CfE survey 102 nominations

Consultation 1 consultation

Talent/Skills studies ▪ Logistics Environmental Scan ▪ Medical Devices Environmental Scan

Evidence:

Top-down data:

1. Employment growth - 1 year Yes 7. Wage premium growth - 1 year No

2. Employment growth - 3 years Yes 8. Number of vacancies Yes

3. Working hours growth - 1 year No 9. Vacancy rate Yes

4. Working hours growth - 3 years No 10. Share of vacancies posted for more than 6 weeks

No

5. Education level decrease - 1 year No 11. Number of potential job applications by jobseekers

No

6. Education level decrease - 3 years No





Bottom-up evidence:

This occupation is included in the COL.

i. We received 102 nominations from 85 companies in 18 different sectors, with the top three sectors being: manufacturing, other services, and transport and storage. This suggests that this occupation is critical across various industries. Nominated jobs include operation managers, general managers and managing directors.

ii. Respondents reported that jobs within this occupation group require extensive work experience,

with more than 70% of companies reporting the need for managing directors with more than 4 years of work experience. Reasons behind the occupation being hard-to-fill include a general lack of applicants, as well as applicants lacking relevant job experience, academic credentials, and/or relevant certifications. Companies are struggling to find applicants with necessary experience to fill these top leadership roles. Furthermore, most companies found this occupation to be harder to fill compared to one year ago.

iii. There is some evidence of education and certification-related barriers to filling these roles. A bachelor’s degree is required for all vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey. In addition, some companies reported requiring professional certification or credentials such as a professional accounting certification.

iv. Respondents reported looking for high level competencies in leadership, communication, decision-making, people management, business acumen, technical knowledge, and emotional intelligence. Companies are finding it challenging to hire people to fill this occupation because it requires a suitable combination of skills, knowledge, and experience.

v. This occupation is strategic by nature. Decisions made by top leaders can impact the direction of the

entire company. Moreover, many companies reported difficulty in setting a strategic direction for their company, and increasing workload for current employees, as a result of not filling this position.

vi. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Companies reported

raising wages, expanding local recruitment efforts, and increasing workers’ training. vii. In addition to the vacancies, the top-down employment indicators have also shown high growth

rates over the past three years. The Companies Commission of Malaysia has reported the formation of new companies (both foreign and local), which is one of the factors driving demand for this occupation.

viii. 3 companies have nominated this occupation in the Medical Devices Environmental Scan, while Logistics Environmental Scan reflected nominations from 152 companies.





Occupation: Finance Manager


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 1211-01; 1211-02; 1211-03; 1211-04; 1211-06; 1211-07; 1211-08; 1211-13; 1211-15; 1211-16; 1211-19; 1211-20; 1211-22; 1211-23


Finance Manager; Account Manager; Budget Manager; Audit Manager; Credit Manager; Chief Financial Officer; Insurance Manager; Transaction Monitoring Manager; Claim Manager; Finance Director; Risk Manager; Head of Procurement; Risk Modelling Manager; Actuarial Valuation Manager

2015 Yes

2016 Yes





Talent/Skills studies ▪ Talent Gaps in the Financial Services Industry in Malaysia (2015) – AIF

▪ Logistics Environmental Scan

Evidence:

Top-down data:

1. Employment growth - 1 year No 7. Wage premium growth - 1 year Yes

2. Employment growth - 3 years No 8. Number of vacancies Yes



No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 77 nominations from 69 companies in 16 different sectors, with the top three sectors being: financial and insurance/takaful activities; manufacturing; and other service activities. This suggests that the occupation is critical across various industries.

ii. Companies reported that jobs within this occupation group require extensive work experience, with

65% of companies reporting the need for finance managers with more than 4 years of work

experience. The companies reported that job applicants lack relevant job experience and required

technical skills. Additionally, companies also noted that the shortage is due to strong competition

for finance managers from other industries/sectors, and a lack of talent pool for finance managers.

As a whole, 33% of companies reported that this occupation is harder to fill compared to a year ago.

iii. There are some education and certification-related barriers to filling these roles. A minimum of a

bachelor’s degree is required for almost all vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey. Majority of the companies (81%) reported that they are looking for applicants with a background in finance, accounting and taxation, management and administration, or economics. In addition, some positions also require professional certifications or licenses.

iv. More than half of the respondents reported having to increase the workload of current workers due

to the shortage in this occupation. A few have also reported facing an increase in operation costs, as well as difficulty in meeting customer service objectives.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Consistent with the claim

that this occupation requires a particular set of technical skills, most respondents do not report hiring less well qualified workers. Almost two-thirds reported expanding recruitment efforts, raising wages and increasing workers’ training.

vi. The Asian Institute of Finance (AIF) provided additional evidence, based on an earlier talent study,

that finance managers are hard-to-fill in the following functional areas: a. Risk Management and Compliance b. Product Development c. Asset/wealth management

vii. The Logistics Environmental Scan noted that 47 out of 718 firms surveyed nominated finance

managers to be critical.





Occupation: Policy and Planning Manager


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 1213-01; 1213-02; 1213-03; 1213-05; 1213-06


Policy and Planning Manager; Strategic Planning Manager; Corporate Planning Manager; Project Planning Manager; Project Leader

2015 Yes

2016 Yes




Consultation -

Talent/Skills studies ▪ Logistics Environmental Scan

Evidence:

Top-down data:

1. Employment growth - 1 year N/A 7. Wage premium growth - 1 year N/A

2. Employment growth - 3 years N/A 8. Number of vacancies No

3. Working hours growth - 1 year N/A 9. Vacancy rate No

4. Working hours growth - 3 years N/A 10. Share of vacancies posted for more than 6 weeks

No

5. Education level decrease - 1 year N/A 11. Number of potential job applications by jobseekers

No

6. Education level decrease - 3 years N/A





Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 11 nominations from 11 companies in 9 different sectors, with the top 3 sectors being: other service activities, financial and insurance/takaful activities, and information and communication. The jobs nominated reflect the need for project planning managers, corporate planning managers and project leaders.

ii. Respondents reported that job positions within this occupation group require extensive work

experience and certifications. The lack of required relevant job experience and technical skills among applicants are the most-cited reasons behind the occupation being hard-to-fill. Despite so, respondents reported that this occupation is neither more nor less hard-to-fill compared to a year ago, with most vacancies taking only up to only 30 days to be filled.

iii. There are some education and certification-related barriers to filling these roles. A bachelor’s degree

is required for most vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey. At least half of the companies are looking for those who studied in management and administration. In addition, some jobs require professional certifications for project management. Examples of certifications include:

a. Project Management Professional (PMP) b. Projects in Controlled Environment 2 (PRINCE2)

iv. Most companies reported a decreased ability to set strategic objectives and/or plan for the future

as a result of the shortage. A few respondents also reported difficulties in meeting customer service objectives, and an increased workload for current employees.


that this occupation requires a particular set of technical skills, most respondents do not report hiring less well qualified workers. Instead, most reported expanding local recruitment efforts and raising wages to address the shortage.

vi. The Logistics Environmental Scan has noted that this occupation is critical.





Occupation: Business Services Manager


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 1214-01; 1214-02; 1214-03; 1214-04; 1214-06


Production Manager; Production and Business Operation Manager; Business Services Development Manager; Production Planner; Business Development Manager

2015 Yes

2016 Yes




Consultation -


Evidence:

Top-down data:

1. Employment growth - 1 year No 7. Wage premium growth - 1 year No


3. Working hours growth - 1 year No 9. Vacancy rate No


No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. There is evidence of widespread demand for this occupation. There are 49 nominations from 44 companies from 12 different sectors, with the top three sectors being: manufacturing; other services; and financial and insurance/takaful activities. It suggests that demand for this occupation spreads across various industries and is not sector specific. The job titles nominated reflect the need for business development managers, production managers, and business services development managers.

ii. Respondents reported that jobs within this occupation group require extensive work experience, technical skills and certifications. In addition to that, the lack of relevant job experience and technical skills are the most-cited reasons behind the occupation being hard-to-fill. Most respondents reported to find this occupation to be harder to fill compared to a year ago.

iii. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Consistent with the claim that this occupation requires a particular set of technical skills, most respondents do not report hiring less well qualified workers. Instead, most reported expanding both local and international recruitment efforts in addition to raising wages to address the shortage.

iv. There is some evidence of education and certification-related barriers to filling these roles. A bachelor’s degree is required for all vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey. More than 65% of the nominations are looking for applicants with a management or marketing degree.

v. Companies reported that the difficulty in hiring for this occupation has resulted in an increased workload for workers, a decreased ability to plan for the future, and difficulty in meeting customer service objectives.

vi. From the Logistics Environmental Scan, there are 48 companies that nominated this occupation as

critical.





Occupation: Business Services and Administration Manager Not Elsewhere Classified


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 1219-01; 1219-02; 1219-03; 1219-04; 1219-05

All the following job titles within this occupation are included in the Critical Occupations List (COL):

Corporate Services Manager; Facilities Manager; Purchasing Manager; Quality Assurance Manager; Quality Control Manager

2015 No

2016 No





Talent/Skills studies -

Evidence:

Top-down data:

1. Employment growth - 1 year No 7. Wage premium growth - 1 year N/A




No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 11 nominations from 10 companies in 6 different sectors, with the top three sectors being: manufacturing; human health and social work activities; and transportation and storage. Companies nominated many job titles within this occupation group and these job titles are highly similar in names and nature. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for purchasing managers and quality assurance managers.


all companies reporting the need for candidates with more than 4 years of work experience. Companies reported that applicants lacked the technical skills required for this occupation. However, in addition to taking only up to 30 days to fill up vacancies, companies have found this occupation to be neither more nor less hard-to-fill compared to one year ago.

iii. A minimum of a diploma or bachelor’s degree is required for almost all vacancies listed by

respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey. However, respondents reported that applicants do not need any particular certifications to qualify for this occupation.

iv. More than half of the respondents reported having to increase workload of current workers due to

a shortage in this occupation. A few have also reported an increase in operational costs.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Most respondents have expanded local and international recruitment efforts and increased the working hours of current workers.

vi. The Malaysian Organisation of Pharmaceutical Industries (MOPI) has nominated pharmaceutical quality assurance managers as a critical occupation. They are willing to train employees and fresh graduates from any background to overcome this shortage.





Occupation: Sales and Marketing Manager


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 1221-01; 1221-02; 1221-03; 1221-05; 1221-06; 1221-07; 1221-10; 1221-12

All the following job titles within this occupation are included in the Critical Occupations List (COL):

Sales Manager; Sales and Marketing Manager; Marketing Manager; Market Research Manager; Product Manager; Brand Manager; Outlet Manager; Sales Director

This occupation appears on COL: 2015 No

2016 Yes

Evidence:



Consultation -

Talent/Skills studies ▪ Medical Devices Environmental Scan ▪ Logistics Environmental Scan

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 82 nominations from 66 companies in 16 different sectors, with the top three sectors being manufacturing; transportation and storage; and other services. Companies have nominated many job titles within this occupation group and these job titles are highly similar in names and nature. Most of the job titles nominated are sales managers, marketing managers, and product managers.

ii. About 25% of the nominations require more than 4 years of working experience. Vacancies generally

take up to 2 months to fill. About 35% of the companies also reported that this occupation is now harder to fill, compared to a year ago. Companies reported that this occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lack the relevant job experience. Additionally, respondents also noted that applicants’ salary expectations are beyond companies’ compensation policies.

iii. Most of the nominated occupations require at least a bachelor’s degree, mostly in

marketing/advertising or management and administration. Generally, no additional professional certifications are needed. The Logistics Environmental Scan states that a Master’s degree is minimally required for these jobs in the logistics sector.

iv. As a result of this occupation shortage, some companies reported having increased workload for

existing employees, loss in revenue, and decreased ability to meet customer/product objectives. Companies have responded by raising wages, expanding recruitment efforts, and hiring less qualified applicants.

v. The Logistics Environmental Scan cited this occupation as critical from 32 companies while the

Medical Devices Environmental Scan cited this occupation as critical with nominations from 3 companies.





Occupation: Research and Development Manager


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 1223-01; 1223-02


Research and Development Manager; Product Development Manager

This occupation appears on COL: 2015 Yes

2016 Yes

Evidence:



Consultation 2 consultations

Talent/Skills studies

▪ Aerospace Industry Occupational Framework (2017) – NAICO

▪ Talent Gaps in the Financial Services Industry in Malaysia (2015) – AIF

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 7 nominations from 6 companies in 4 different sectors: manufacturing; financial and insurance/takaful activities; other service activities; and agriculture, forestry and fishing. The job titles nominated reflect the need for research and development managers, and product development managers. Companies only nominated these specific job titles, so other job titles that are significantly different are not included in the COL.


90% of companies reporting the need for research and development managers with more than 4 years of work experience. The companies reported a lack of job applicants with the relevant job experience and certification. On average, this occupation takes more than 60 days to fill.

iii. A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree is required for almost all vacancies listed by respondents in our

Call-for-Evidence survey. Applicants with masters and PhD qualifications are preferred. Respondents also reported that applicants are required to have certain certifications to qualify for this occupation.

iv. Due to this shortage, almost all companies reported a decreased ability to introduce technological

upgrades. A few companies also reported an increased workload for current workers, rising operational costs, and a decreased ability to develop new products and services.

v. Consistent with the claim that this occupation requires certain certifications, most respondents do

not report hiring less well qualified workers. Instead, the companies have resorted to expanding local recruitment efforts, raising wages, increasing training, and convincing senior/experienced workers to delay retirement.

vi. Asian Institute of Finance (AIF) commented that product development managers are sought-after in

the financial services industry, specifically in capital markets, conventional banking, and Islamic banking.

vii. The National Aerospace Industry Coordinating Office (NAICO) stated that knowledge and experience in new generation aircraft is in demand, as airlines move towards more cost-effective aircraft designs.





Occupation: Manufacturing Manager


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 1321-01; 1321-02; 1321-03; 1321-05; 1321-08


Manufacturing Manager; Production and Operation Manager; Factory Manager; Production Manager-Food Processing; Welding Manager


2016 Yes

Evidence:




Talent/Skills studies ▪ A Study on Skill Shortages in the Textile and Apparel Industry (2014) – MATAC

▪ Medical Devices Environmental Scan

Top-down data:


2. Employment growth - 3 years No 8. Number of vacancies No



No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 33 nominations from 28 companies in 3 different sectors, mostly from the manufacturing sector. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for production managers, welding coordinators and plant managers.


45% of companies reporting the need for plant managers with more than 4 years of work experience. Companies reported this occupation being hard-to-fill because there were insufficient applicants, applicants lacked relevant job experience, and/or they expected compensation beyond market rates. However, respondents reported that this occupation is neither less nor harder to fill compared to a year ago.

iii. Companies generally require applicants with a Bachelor’s degree or Diploma qualification. The

companies are looking to hire applicants with a background in management and administration, with a preference for managers who have the required professional certifications, such as:

a. Certified Environmental Professionals (CePSO) b. Course for Certified Environmental Professional in Scheduled Waste Management

(CEPSWAM). c. International Welding Engineer (IWE)

iv. Due to a shortage in this occupation, most companies reported increasing workload for current

employees. A few respondents also reported a loss of business and increased operational costs.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Respondents reported raising wages in addition to expanding local and international recruitment efforts.

vi. The Malaysia Rubber Products Manufacturers Association (MRPMA) and Malaysian Textile and Apparel Centre (MATAC) also provided additional information, indicating the need for experienced workers in this occupation.

vii. Furthermore, 10 out of the 18 surveyed companies from the Medical Devices Environmental Scan reported that manufacturing managers are critical for companies’ operations and business growth.





Occupation: Construction Manager


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 1323-01; 1323-05; 1323-06; 1323-11; 1323-12; 1323-14


Construction Manager; Project Manager; Site Manager; Land Surveyor Manager; Electrical Manager; Energy Manager


2016 No

Evidence:





Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 32 nominations from 27 companies in 9 different sectors, with the top three sectors being: construction; real estate activities; and other service activities. The job titles nominated reflect the need for construction managers, project managers, site managers, and energy managers.


60% of companies reporting the need for construction managers with more than 4 years of work

experience. Companies report that this occupation is hard-to-fill because job applicants lack the

relevant job experience, certification, and/or required technical skills. Some companies also noted

that applicants’ expected compensation is beyond the market rate. As a whole, 44% of companies

reported that this occupation is harder to fill compared to a year ago.

iii. There is some evidence of education and certification-related barriers to filling these roles. A

minimum of a Bachelor’s degree is required for almost all vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey. Companies reported that they are looking for applicants with a background in building, civil engineering, electricity and energy, or architecture and town planning.

iv. The most commonly cited impact of shortage is an increment in existing workload for current

employees. Many companies also reported other impacts on their businesses, including increased

operational costs, difficulty in meeting customer service objectives, and difficulty in setting strategic

objectives for the future.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Half of the respondents

reported raising wages. Other strategies include expanding local recruitment efforts, outsourcing, and increasing training for current workers.

vi. In spite of the slow economy in the oil and gas sector, Malaysia Petroleum Resources Corporation (MPRC) also opined that the role of project manager is hard to fill in their industry. Most of these positions are currently filled by expatriates as they have the experience level and qualifications needed which many locals may not possess. However, consultation with the Association of Malaysian Oil and Gas Consultants (MOGEC) reported that we could be seeing a declining trend on this. This is because the hiring of such professionals depends on the requirements set by clients and sometimes, local project managers fit the level of experience needed.

vii. Further input from the Energy Commission (EC) and Malaysia Association of Energy Service Companies (MAESCO) have provided evidence that there is a shortage of qualified energy managers in Malaysia.





Occupation: Supply, Distribution and Related Manager


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 1324-02; 1324-03; 1324-09; 1324-13


Transport Manager; Supply Manager; Distribution Manager; Logistics Manager


2016 Yes

Evidence:



Consultation -


Top-down data:





No


No

6. Education level decrease - 3 years Yes





Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 18 nominations from 17 companies in 5 different sectors, with the most nominations from the manufacturing sector. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for supply chain managers and, logistics and warehouse managers.


70% of companies reporting the need for supply managers with more than 4 years of work experience. This occupation is hard-to-fill as there are few applicants, and applicants lack the relevant job experience and/or required technical skills. Following this, respondents reported that this occupation is harder to fill compared to one year ago.

iii. A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required for almost all vacancies listed by respondents in our

Call-for-Evidence survey. Most respondents reported that applicants do not need any particular

certifications to qualify for this occupation.

iv. Almost all companies reported that the workload for current employees and operational costs have

increased due to this shortage. A few companies also reported a loss of revenue, and difficulty in setting strategic objectives and planning for the future.

v. Consistent with the claim that this occupation requires a particular set of technical skills, most respondents have not reported hiring less well qualified workers. Instead, companies have resorted to increasing wages and workers’ training, in addition to expanding local recruitment efforts.

vi. From the Logistics Environmental Scan, 33 companies reported that this occupation is critical.





Occupation: Information and Communications Technology Manager


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 1511-04; 1511-05; 1511-06; 1511-11; 1511-18; 1511-19; 1511-22; 1511-30


Information Systems Manager; Information Technology Manager; Computer Services Manager; ICT Development Manager; Computer Security Manager; Information Technology Project Manager; Information Technology Sales Manager; Information Technology Business Development Manager


2016 Yes

Evidence:





Top-down data:



3. Working hours growth - 1 year Yes 9. Vacancy rate No


No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 25 nominations from 16 companies in 7 different sectors, with the top three sectors

being: information and communication; financial and insurance/takaful activities; and other services activities.

ii. Companies reported that jobs within this occupation group require extensive work experience. This

occupation is hard-to-fill because there is a limited number of applicants, and applicants lack the required technical skills and relevant job experience. Companies have also found this occupation to be harder to fill compared to a year ago.


Call-for-Evidence survey. In addition to this, respondents reported that applicants do not need any particular certifications to qualify for this occupation.

iv. Almost all companies reported that there is an increase in workload for current employees and

difficulty in meeting product or service quality objectives as the main impacts of the shortage. A significant few have also reported that it has been difficult to set their companies’ strategy or plan for the future.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Consistent with the claim that this occupation requires a particular set of technical skills, most respondents do not report hiring less well qualified workers. Instead, the companies have resorted to expanding recruitment efforts in addition to raising wages.

vi. Further input from the National ICT Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) suggests difficulty in finding candidates with specific certifications and specialisations - most graduates in this field took general degrees. The shortage may also be caused by the lack of graduates in ICT-related fields.

vii. Our consultation with Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission (MCMC) indicated that

cybersecurity managers are in high demand in industries such as financial services and public service (e.g. the national police cybercrime division). This is because there is a need to maintain and defend networks, to maintain integrity of internal data against cyber-attacks, and to keep security systems updated.





Occupation: Chemist


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2113-05; 2113-16; 2113-21; 2113-36


Chemist; Chemist (Research and Development); Chemist (Quality Control); Petrophysicist


2016 No

Evidence:





Top-down data:


2. Employment growth - 3 years N/A 8. Number of vacancies Yes

3. Working hours growth - 1 year N/A 9. Vacancy rate Yes


No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 3 nominations from 3 companies with most nominations from the manufacturing

sector.

ii. Companies reported that jobs within this occupation group require some work experience, with 50% of companies reporting a need for chemists with 2 to 4 years of work experience. The companies reported that there are too few applicants, and that job applicants’ expected compensation was beyond the market rate.

iii. A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required for almost all vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey. However, respondents reported that applicants do not require any other particular certifications to qualify for this occupation.

iv. A substantial number of companies reported increasing workload of current workers as the main impact of the shortage. A few have also reported facing difficulty in meeting customer service objectives.

v. To overcome this shortage, companies reported expanding local and international recruitment efforts, increasing workers’ training, and outsourcing this job function.

vi. The Malaysian Organisation of Pharmaceutical industries (MOPI) provided additional evidence. They reported that the pharmaceutical industry is looking for organic chemists in product development. To overcome the current shortage, the employers are willing to hire fresh graduates from other industries and train them.

vii. The Malaysian Institute of Chemistry (IKM) and Malaysian Textile and Apparel Centre (MATAC) also reported chemist (dyeing experts) as a critical occupation, as there is a shortage of dyeing experts in the country.

viii. Consultation with the Malaysian Rubber Products Manufacturers Association (MRPMA) further confirms that this occupation is critical. This is because chemists are needed for the research and development of new quality rubber products.

ix. In addition to above, a member company of Malaysian Oil & Gas Services Council (MOGSC) opined that the role of a petrophysicist – a professional that has knowledge on the physical properties and the rock and fluid interaction in petroleum systems – is hard to fill in the company.





Occupation: Geologist and Geophysicist


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2114-06; 2114-07; 2114-08; 2114-37


Geophysicist; Geologist; Geological Engineer; Geoscientist


2016 Yes

Evidence:





Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 3 nominations from 3 companies in 3 sectors. The job titles nominated reflect the need

for geophysicists, geologists, geological engineers, and geoscientists.

ii. Respondents reported that jobs within this occupation group require extensive work experience, with 67% of companies reporting the need for geologists and geophysicists with more than 4 years of work experience. A large oil & gas company in Malaysia reported the need to hire foreign experts, to access highly advanced and technical specializations/technologies. This occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lack the required certification, technical skills, and relevant job experience. Furthermore, companies reported that this occupation takes an average of 3-6 months to fill.

iii. A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required for almost all vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey. Most companies reported that they intend to hire applicants with a civil engineering background, with a preference for engineers who have the required geology certifications from the Institution of Engineers (IEM).

iv. Almost all companies reported difficulties in meeting customer service objectives as the main impact of the shortage. A few also reported having to increase the workload of current workers.

v. Consistent with the claim that this occupation requires a particular set of technical skills, most respondents do not report hiring less well qualified workers. Instead, the companies resorted to overcoming this shortage by expanding local and international recruitment efforts.

vi. In spite of the slow economy in the oil and gas sector, a few member companies of Malaysian Oil & Gas Services Council (MOGSC) also opined that the role of geophysicists and geologists are hard to fill in their company.





Occupation: Mathematician, Actuary and Statistician


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2121-07; 2121-13; 2121-15; 2121-26; 2121-27; 2121-29; 2121-32; 2121-34; 2121-35; 2121-36; 2121-37; 2121-38; 2121-39


Mathematician (Actuarial Science); Statistician (Economics); Statistician (Market Research); Data Scientist; Data Analyst; Data Mining Analyst; Big Data and Analytic; Appointed Actuary; Pricing Actuary; Valuation Actuary; Geographic Information Systems (GIS); Geomatician; Metrologist

2015 Yes

2016 Yes





Talent/Skills studies

▪ Talent Gaps in the Financial Services Industry in Malaysia (2015) – AIF

▪ ICT Job Market Outlook in Malaysia (10th Edition - June 2017) – PIKOM

Evidence:

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:



being: financial and insurance/takaful activities; professional, scientific and technical activities; and information and communication. The job titles nominated mostly reflect the need for data analysts, mathematicians, and statisticians.


55% of companies reporting the need for data analysts, mathematicians, and statisticians with more than 4 years of work experience. Most companies reported that applicants lack the required technical skills and/or relevant job experience. There is also a lack of suitable applicants. On average, this occupation takes around 3-6 months to fill. Furthermore, companies reported this occupation has become harder to fill, compared to last year.

iii. There is evidence of a lack of specialised certifications/knowledge with regards to this occupation.

Almost all respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey reported requiring at least a bachelor’s degree for this occupation. Companies have a preference for applicants who have specialised knowledge in:

a. General insurance b. General takaful c. Customer analytics d. HR analytics e. Network analytics

iv. Due to this shortage, a majority of companies reported difficulties in meeting product or service

objectives, increased workload, and loss of revenue. A few have also reported increased operation costs and loss in revenue.

v. Consistent with the claim that this occupation requires specialisation in certain fields, most

respondents do not report hiring less well qualified workers. Instead, the companies have resorted to expanding local and international recruitment efforts, raising wages, and increasing workers’ training.

vi. Input from several associations (e.g. AIF, LIAM, Actuarial Society of Malaysia, Malaysian Takaful Association) provided additional evidence that experienced and qualified actuaries are in shortage in the insurance industry, specifically those with specialised knowledge in general insurance and general takaful products in Malaysia. This is consistent with additional input from PIKOM and key companies in telecommunications and other major industries, which highlighted the importance of specialised analytical skills in data-driven decision-making processes.

vii. Input from the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) indicated that data analysts are expected to be in demand in the future, in line with growing data collection from digital platforms.





Occupation: Industrial and Production Engineer


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2141-01; 2141-02; 2141-03; 2141-04; 2141-10; 2141-11; 2141-15; 2141-18; 2141-20; 2141-27; 2141-34; 2141-40


Automation Engineer; Robotics Engineer; Industrial Engineer; Production Engineer; Systems Design Engineer; Systems Engineer (Except Computers); Cost Evaluation Engineer; Packaging Technologist; Ceramics Technologist; Material Specialist Packaging Engineer; Weaving Technologist

2015 Yes

2016 Yes




Consultation; 6 consultations

Talent/Skills studies ▪ Machinery/Equipment and Advanced Engineering Environmental Scan

▪ Medical Devices Environmental Scan ▪ A Study of the Malaysian Plastic Industry Skills Needs

Final Report (2017) – MPMA

Evidence:

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 27 nominations from 23 companies in 5 different sectors, with the top three sectors being: manufacturing; professional, scientific and technical activities; and other services. Demand for this occupation could be sector specific, since 79% of the nominations came from the manufacturing sector. The job titles nominated mostly reflect the need for production engineers and automation engineers.

ii. Companies reported that jobs within this occupation group do not require extensive work

experience. However, the lack of relevant job experience is the most-cited reason that this occupation is hard-to-fill, in addition to the lack of required technical / operational skills within a limited pool of applicants. Companies also found this occupation to be harder to fill compared to last year. Additionally, there are extreme cases of companies taking more than 5 months to fill up vacancies.

iii. A bachelor’s degree is required for almost all vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence

survey, with others requiring a diploma degree. Most companies also reported that this occupation does not require any particular certification but would require the applicants to have a degree in a relevant field of study.

iv. This shortage has resulted in an increased workload for current employees and increased operational

costs. Further input from the Malaysian Organisation of Pharmaceutical Industries (MOPI) suggests that companies need to spend more time training workers, who lack practical training before entering the industry.


that this occupation requires a particular set of technical skills, most respondents do not report hiring less well qualified workers. Instead, the companies have resorted to expanding recruitment efforts and raising wages.

vi. The Medical Devices Environmental Scan has nominations from 3 companies, while the Machinery/ Equipment and Advanced Engineering Environmental Scan has nominations from 8 companies, that report this occupation to be critical.

vii. Consultations with The Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM), Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI), Malaysian Textile and Apparel Centre (MATAC), Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA), and Malaysian Rubber Products Manufacturers Association (MRPMA) further confirm that industrial engineers are critical in the manufacturing sector. For example, MRPMA reported that industrial engineers are essential for the industry as they are able to manage and innovate production processes for further operational efficiency. The Malaysian Plastics Industry Skills Needs study (2017) done by MPMA also show that only 20% of firms indicated that they have enough skilled workers for this occupation.





Occupation: Civil Engineer


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2142-11; 2142-13; 2142-14; 2142-16; 2142-22; 2142-26; 2142-34; 2142-38; 2142-39


Civil Engineering Technologist; Civil Engineer; Site Engineer; Construction Civil Engineer; Structural Engineer; Railway Construction Civil Engineer (including High Speed Rail specialised engineers); Civil Engineer (Hydrology); Maintenance Engineer; Geotechnical Engineer

2015 Yes

2016 No





Talent/Skills studies ▪ Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail Talent Development Study Final Report (2017) – MyHSR

Evidence:

Top-down data:



3. Working hours growth - 1 year Yes 9. Vacancy rate Yes

4. Working hours growth - 3 years Yes 10. Share of vacancies posted for more than 6 weeks

No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 30 nominations from 26 companies in 9 different sectors, with the top three sectors being: construction; professional scientific and technical activities; and manufacturing. The job titles nominated mostly reflect the need for civil engineers and site engineers.


70% of companies reporting the need for civil engineers with more than 4 years of work experience. The companies reported that job applicants lack the relevant job experience and required technical skills. Additionally, there is also strong competition for civil engineers from other industries/sectors. As a whole, most companies reported that this occupation is harder to fill compared to a year ago.


Call-for-Evidence survey. Majority of the companies (81%) reported that they intend to hire applicants with civil engineering background, and the required professional certification, such as:

a. Safety certificate by Department of Occupational Safety and Health b. Professional Certification by Board of Engineers Malaysia

iv. More than half of the respondents reported having to increase the workload of current workers as

a result of this shortage. A few have also reported an increase in operation costs, and a loss of business orders.

v. Consistent with the claim that this occupation requires a particular set of technical skills, most

respondents do not report hiring less well qualified workers. Instead, the companies have resorted to overcoming this shortage by expanding local recruitment efforts, outsourcing this job, and raising wages.

vi. Input from the Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission (MCMC) provided additional

evidence that civil engineers are also sought-after in the telecommunications industry, specifically to maintain, build, and service telecommunication towers in Malaysia.

vii. Input from MyHSR Corporation indicated that civil engineers with expertise in rail (especially high-

speed rail) are sought-after and crucial for the planning, design, testing, and commissioning of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail project in Malaysia. Malaysia is unlikely to have talent with expertise in high speed rail, and the supply of this talent may be stretched due to other future rail projects (LRT3, MRT2).





Occupation: Mechanical Engineer


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2144-04; 2144-05; 2144-15; 2144-24; 2144-32; 2144-38; 2144-39; 2144-41; 2144-45; 2144-49; 2144-53


Mechanical Engineer; Machinery and Tools Industrial Engineer; Locomotive Engine Engineer; Steam Engineer; Equipment Engineer; Welding Engineers; Mechanical Maintenance Engineer; Fabrication Engineer; R&D Engineers; CNC Machining Engineer


2016 Yes

Evidence:




Talent/Skills studies ▪ Machinery/Equipment and Advanced Engineering Environmental Scan


▪ Aerospace Industry Occupational Framework (2017) – NAICO

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 31 nominations from 27 companies in 6 different sectors, with most of the nominations coming from the manufacturing sector. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for mechanical engineers, machinery and tools industrial engineers, and mechanical maintenance engineers.

ii. Companies reported that some jobs within this occupation require extensive work experience and

technical skills. This occupation is hard-to-fill as applicants lack relevant experience and skills. Some companies noted that the relevant knowledge and skills can only be obtained by real-life experience in handling machinery, particularly for imported machinery. Vacancies for this occupation take less than 3 months to fill, although some companies reported that this occupation has been harder to fill, compared to a year ago.

iii. Almost all respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey reported requiring at least a bachelor’s degree

for this occupation. Preferred fields of study include mechanics & metal work, chemical & processes, and electricity & energy. Most respondents did not specify additional professional certifications required for this occupation.

iv. Given the difficulty in filling this occupation, companies reported increasing the workload of

employees. Additionally, they reported an increase in operational costs, and inability to expand/introduce new upgrades. The shortage has also affected their ability to set strategic objectives and/or plan for the future.

v. Companies are proactively addressing this shortage by raising wages, expanding local and

international recruitment efforts, and increasing workers’ training.

vi. The Machinery/Equipment & Advanced Engineering and Medical Devices Environmental Scan has cited this occupation as critical, with nominations from 14 and 4 companies respectively. Furthermore, the National Aerospace Industry Coordinating Office (NAICO) report has indicated the need for welding engineers and assistant welding engineers in the aerospace industry. The Malaysian Organisation of Pharmaceutical Industries (MOPI) has also suggested that mechanical engineers and machinery & tools engineers are critical in the pharmaceutical industry.





Occupation: Chemical Engineer


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2145-04; 2145-15


Chemical Engineer; Food and Drinks Technologist


2016 No

Evidence:





Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 6 nominations from 5 companies in 2 different sectors, mostly in the manufacturing sector. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for chemical engineers, and food & drink technologists. Companies only nominated these specific job titles, so other job titles of a different nature are not included in the COL.

ii. Companies reported that jobs within this occupation group require 2 to 4 years of work experience.

This occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lack the required credentials or certifications. Companies also reported that this occupation is neither more nor less hard-to-fill, compared to one year ago.

iii. There is evidence of a gap in specialised certifications. Almost all respondents in our Call-for-

Evidence survey reported requiring at least a bachelor’s degree for this occupation. In addition, respondents reported that applicants need particular certifications to qualify for this occupation, such as:

a. Certified Environmental Professionals (CePSO) b. Certified Environmental Professional in Scheduled Waste Management (CEPsWAM) c. Food and Nutrition certification

iv. Due to this shortage, all respondents reported a difficulty in meeting customer service objectives.

v. Consistent with the claim that this occupation requires a particular set of technical skills, all

respondents do not report hiring less well qualified workers. Instead, the companies have expanded local recruitment efforts and raised wages.

vi. In addition to the information above, our consultation with Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) reflects that there is a demand for food technologists with expertise and experience in nutrigenomics, nutraceuticals, and health product technology research. Consultation with Malaysian Rubber Products Manufacturers Association (MRPMA) has reflected that this occupation is critical for rubber product manufacturers. They noted that currently there are issues of talent shortage, lack of proper skillsets, and lack of practical knowledge.





Occupation: Mining Engineer, Metallurgist and Related Professional


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2146-01; 2146-31; 2146-39; 2146-46; 2146-47


Mining Engineer; Reservoir Engineer; Material and Non-destructive Testing Engineer; Water Management Engineer; Product Design R&D Engineer


2016 Yes

Evidence:

Top-down indicators Passes 2 out 4 indicators




Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 6 nominations from 5 companies in 4 different sectors, with the top sector being mining and quarrying. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for reservoir engineers and non-destructive testing engineers.


more than 50% of companies reporting the need for reservoir engineers with more than 4 years of work experience. This occupation is hard-to-fill because job applicants lack the required certifications and technical skills. Respondents reported taking 2 to 3 months to fill up vacancies, but this occupation is neither more nor less hard-to-fill compared to one year ago.

iii. A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required for almost all vacancies listed by the respondents in

our Call-for-Evidence survey. Some companies intend to hire applicants from chemical and process backgrounds, with a preference for engineers who have the required professional certifications, such as:

a. Non-destructive Testing, Level 3 b. Registration with the Board of Geologists Malaysia c. Certifications or registration with the Institute of Engineering Malaysia (IEM)

iv. Due to the shortage in this occupation, most companies reported increasing workload for current

employees.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Respondents reported mostly expanding local recruitment efforts in addition to other initiatives such as raising wages.

vi. One of the large oil and gas companies in Malaysia indicated that they are looking for drilling engineers, pipeline engineers, and subsea engineers with more than 10 years of work experience.





Occupation: Engineering Professional (Excluding Electrotechnology) Not Elsewhere Classified


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2149-08; 2149-09; 2149-10; 2149-11; 2149-12; 2149-14; 2149-19; 2149-21; 2149-23; 2149-25; 2149-27; 2149-41


Quantity Surveyor; Project Engineer; Process Engineer; Quality Assurance Engineer; Quality Control Engineer; Research Engineer; Materials Engineer; Safety Engineer; Industrial Health and Safety Engineer; Quality Engineer; Procurement Engineer; Survey Engineer

2015 Yes

2016 Yes





Talent/Skills studies ▪ Aerospace Industry Occupational Framework (2017) – NAICO

Evidence:

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 48 nominations from 35 companies in 9 different sectors, with the top three sectors being: manufacturing; construction; and professional, scientific and technical activities. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for quantity surveyors and project engineers.

ii. Respondents reported that jobs within this occupation group generally do not require extensive

work experience. However, some vacancies required more than 4 years working experience. In addition, the lack of relevant job experience is the most-cited reason behind the occupation being hard-to-fill as well as the lack of required technical skills amongst limited pool of applicants. Also, there is strong competition for this occupation from other industries/sectors. As a whole, most companies reported that this occupation is harder to fill compared to one year ago, with extreme cases of companies taking 3 to 6 months to fill up vacancies.


Call-for-Evidence survey. Companies reported that they are looking for applicants with a background in civil engineering, building, chemical and process, electricity and energy, architecture, or town planning, with a preference for engineers who have the required particular certifications, such as:

a. Safety Certification b. Certification for Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) c. Professional Certification by Board of Surveyor Malaysia d. Green card by Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB)

iv. Due to this shortage, almost all companies reported an increased workload for current employees

and increased operational costs. A few have also been facing difficulties in meeting customer service and product quality objectives.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Companies reported

expanding local recruitment efforts in addition to other efforts such as increasing the amount of training provided and raising wages for their workers.

vi. Further input from the Malaysian Oil & Gas Engineering Council (MOGEC) and The Electrical and

Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM) provided additional evidence that process engineers and quality engineers are sought-after. The National Aerospace Industry Coordinating (NAICO) study on the aerospace industry also showed demand for quality assurance engineers and quality inspection assistant engineers.





Occupation: Electrical Engineer


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2151-04; 2151-06; 2151-26; 2151-31; 2151-32; 2151-38


Electrical Engineer; Electrical Testing Engineer; Embedded System/ Firmware Engineer; Test/Measurement Engineer (Electric); R&D Electrical Engineer (includes Product Design); Energy Auditor


2016 Yes

Evidence:




Talent/Skills studies ▪ Machinery/Equipment and Advanced Engineering

Environmental Scan

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 16 nominations from 15 companies in 8 different sectors, with the top three sectors being: manufacturing; electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply; and other service activities. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for electrical engineers, embedded system/ firmware engineers, and test/measurement engineers (electric).


53% of companies reporting the need for electrical engineers with more than 2 years of work experience. This occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lack adequate job experience, credentials, certifications, and/or technical skills. Companies also face strong competition from other industries in hiring applicants for this occupation. In general, companies reported that this occupation has become neither more nor less hard-to-fill, compared to a year ago.

iii. There is evidence of a gap in specialised certifications. A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required for almost all vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey. Companies reported looking for applicants with specialised certifications, such as:

a. A4 chargeman certificate b. AutoCAD/BIM certificate c. Registration with the Board of Engineers

iv. Due to this shortage, companies reported an increase in existing workload for current employees, increase in operational costs, difficulty in meeting customer service objectives, and a decrease in ability to develop new products or services.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Most respondents

reported expanding local recruitment efforts as a means to address shortage. Other strategies include hiring temporary or contract workers, raising wages, and partnerships with education or training providers.

vi. This occupation has been highlighted as a critical occupation in the Machinery/Equipment and

Advanced Engineering Environmental Scan. According to the report, it is difficult to hire for this occupation due to the lack of technical skills/competencies among the current talent pool. Input from The Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM) also provided evidence that there is a shortage of qualified electrical engineers in Malaysia.

vii. Input from the Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI), Malaysian Organisation of Pharmaceutical

Industries (MOPI), and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) provided further evidence that this occupation is hard-to-fill because of the lack of industry-experienced workers with specialised skills. Some of these stakeholders also noted strong competition for these workers from other industries.





Occupation: Electronic Engineer


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2152-04; 2152-10; 2152-11; 2152-12; 2152-15; 2152-36; 2152-37; 2152-41; 2152-47; 2152-63


Electronics Engineer; Computer Engineer, Software; Computer Engineer, Hardware; Systems Engineer; Information Technology Engineer; Automation Design Engineer; Analog Integrated Circuit (IC) Designer; Digital Integrated Circuit (IC) Designer; CAD/CAM Engineer; Test/Measurement Engineer (Electronic); Assistant Mechatronic Engineer

2015 Yes

2016 Yes






Evidence:

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:



being: manufacturing; financial and insurance/takaful activities; and professional, scientific and technical activities.

ii. Respondents reported that jobs within this occupation group do not require extensive work experience but require technical knowledge. However, this occupation is hard-to-fill because there are few applicants, and applicants lack the relevant job experience and/or required technical skills. There are some cases of vacancies that take more than 5 months to fill.

iii. More than half the companies require a bachelor’s degree for this occupation – specifically, computer science graduates. Consultation with The Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM) shows that certain jobs (such as mechatronics engineers) under this occupation group require knowledge in both electronics and information technology (IT).

iv. Due to this shortage, most companies also reported having to increase workload for current employees. A few respondents also reported difficulty in introducing upgrades, and revenue loss, due to the shortage.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Companies reported expanding local and international recruitment efforts in addition to increasing workers’ training.

vi. The Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM) indicates that the growth of the electrical and electronics sector will lead to products with intelligent features, which will increase the demand for mechatronics engineers. A large telecommunications company in Malaysia also reported the need for more electronics and IT engineers.

vii. The Aerospace Industry Occupational Framework (2017) report by NAICO also cited specialised electronic engineers (e.g. avionics foreman) as a critical occupation.





Occupation: Telecommunication Engineer


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2153-01; 2153-02; 2153-03; 2153-13; 2153-23


Network and System Engineer; Aerospace Telecommunications Engineer; Telecommunications Engineer; Data Network Engineer; Telecommunication Engineer (Radar),


2016 Yes

Evidence:





Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 4 nominations from 4 companies in 2 different sectors, with more nominations coming from the information and communications sector. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for telecommunication engineers and network engineers.


66% of companies reporting the need for telecommunication engineers with more than 4 years of work experience. The most-cited reasons behind the occupation being hard-to-fill reported by the companies are that job applicants lack the relevant job experience and required technical skills. On average, this occupation takes 30 to 60 days to fill.


Call-for-Evidence survey. The companies reported that they intend to hire applicants from computer science backgrounds, with a preference for engineers who have the required professional certification, such as:

a. Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA) b. Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

iv. Due to this shortage, many companies reported increasing the workload of current workers. A few

have also reported difficulty in meeting customer service objectives.

v. Most of the companies have resorted to overcome this shortage by increasing workers’ training.

vi. One of the consultations provided additional evidence that companies are looking for experts in communication networks and software, especially systems integration in the Open System Interconnection model (OSI model). This occupation is essential for future telecommunication network expansion projects.

vii. The National Aerospace Industry Coordinating Office (NAICO) study on the aerospace industry also

showed an increasing demand for aerospace telecommunications engineers (maintenance engineer).

viii. Additional evidence from PIKOM indicated that network and systems engineers are sought-after.





Occupation: Ships Engineer


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2171-01; 2171-02; 2171-08; 2171-09


Ship Engineer; Marine Engineer, Aircraft Engineer; Aircraft Design Engineer


2016 Yes

Evidence:





Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 7 nominations from 7 companies in 3 different sectors, with most of the nominations

coming from the transportation and storage sector. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for ship engineers and aircraft engineers.

ii. About 20% of respondents reported requiring more than 4 years of work experience for this occupation. This occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lack professional certifications and/or related skills. There also seems to be strong competition for applicants from other sectors. This occupation takes up to 3 months to fill, and half of the respondents’ report that this occupation has become harder to fill, compared to one year ago.

iii. Almost half of the respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey reported requiring at least a bachelor’s degree for this occupation. In addition, respondents reported that applicants need professional licences such as:

a. Licensed Aircraft Engineer b. Certified by the Department of Civil Aviation

iv. Most companies have also reported increasing the workload for current employees. A few respondents also reported difficulty in meeting customer service objectives and increased operational costs.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Companies have responded by raising wages, expanding recruitment efforts, increasing workers’ training, and hiring temporary staff.

vi. Additionally, the National Aerospace Industry Coordinating Office (NAICO) study on the aerospace industry showed a demand for B2 licensed aircraft engineers and design engineers.





Occupation: Aircraft Pilot and Related Professional


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2173-04


Pilot


2016 Yes

Evidence:





Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 7 nominations from 5 companies in 2 different sectors, with most nominations coming from the transportation and storage sector. Pilot was the only job title nominated in this occupation.

ii. Companies reported that they are looking for applicants with extensive work experience. Companies

reported that competition from other companies make this occupation hard-to-fill - one of the respondents noted that many local pilots are migrating to places such as the Middle East and China. Malaysian pilots are in high demand due to their command of languages such as English and Chinese (especially for the Chinese market). This occupation takes 5 months to fill, and companies reported that this occupation is harder to fill, compared to a year ago.

iii. The nominated occupation requires specialised certifications. Almost all respondents in our Call-for-

Evidence survey reported requiring specialised certifications for this occupation, such as the Air Transport Pilot License (ATPL) or aviation licenses.

iv. Due to this shortage, almost all companies reported an increased workload for employees and

increased operational costs.

v. Consistent with the claim that this occupation requires a particular set of technical skills, most respondents do not report hiring less well qualified workers. Instead, the companies have resorted to raising wages and expanding international recruitment efforts.

vi. Furthermore, the Malaysia National Aerospace Industry Coordinating Office (NAICO) report noted that there is a growing demand for pilots, which is in line with the new emerging activities and global growth of the aviation industry.





Occupation: Manufacturing Professional


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2182-01; 2182-02; 2182-04; 2182-05; 2182-06; 2182-08; 2182-12; 2182-19; 2182-20; 2182-21


Manufacturing Executive; Quality Assurance Executive; Quality Control Executive; Production Executive; Warehouse Executive; Maintenance Executive; Product Quality Controller; Supply Chain/Procurement Specialist; Manufacturing Engineer; Technical Executive


2016 Yes

Evidence:




Talent/Skills studies ▪ A Study of the Malaysian Plastic Industry Skills Needs Final Report (2017) – MPMA

▪ A Study on Skill Shortages in the Textile and Apparel Industry (2014) – MATAC


Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 15 nominations from 15 companies in 2 different sectors, with most nominations coming from the manufacturing sector. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for manufacturing engineers and production executives.

ii. Respondents reported that jobs within this occupation group do not require extensive work experience, with most companies reporting the need for professionals with less than 2 years of work experience. Yet, this occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lack the relevant job experience. There is also strong competition from other sectors for a limited pool of talent. Additionally, there are some cases of vacancies that take up to more than 5 months to fill.

iii. Majority of respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey reported requiring at least a Bachelor’s

degree for manufacturing professionals; preferred fields of study include chemical and process, electricity and energy, material engineering, food processing, and applied sciences. Most companies did not specify additional professional certifications required for this occupation.

iv. Due to this shortage, many companies reported an increased workload for current employees and

increased operational costs. Further input from the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) suggests that companies would need to spend more time in training workers, due to their lack of practical training before entering the industry.

v. To address their hiring issues, companies reported raising wages, hiring less qualified applicants, and

expanding both local and international recruitment efforts. The Malaysian Textile and Apparel

Centre (MATAC) also noted that employers are recruiting maintenance executives from Bangladesh,

China, and Myanmar, to fulfil their talent needs.

vi. Consultation with Malaysian Rubber Products Manufacturers Association (MRPMA) further indicated that manufacturing engineers are sought-after and are essential in managing and innovating production processes for further operational efficiency. Based on the Medical Devices environmental scan, 7 out of 21 (33%) companies in non-consumables segment also have difficulty finding qualified applicants for this occupation.





Occupation: Specialist Medical Practitioner


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2212-08; 2212-09; 2212-22; 2212-32; 2212-33; 2212-36; 2212-37; 2212-38; 2212-59; 2212-62


Psychiatrist; Paediatrician; Dermatologist; Orthopaedic Surgeon; Ophthalmologist; Interventional Radiologist; Vascular Surgeon; Haematology Paediatrician; Urologist; Gastroenterology Paediatrician


2016 No

Evidence:





Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 2 nominations from 2 companies in 2 different sectors. The job titles nominated reflect the need for psychiatrists and paediatricians.


all companies reporting the need for specialist medical practitioners with more than 4 years of work

experience. Companies reported that this occupation is hard-to-fill because job applicants lack the

relevant job experience, and their expected salary is beyond companies’ compensation policy. Some

companies also noted that there is strong competition for applicants from other hospitals and clinics.

As a whole, all companies reported that this occupation is harder to fill compared to a year ago.

iii. There is some evidence of education and certification-related barriers to fill these roles. A minimum

of a Master’s degree is required for almost all vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey. Companies reported that they look for applicants with post graduate practical training experience.

iv. The most commonly cited impact of shortage on businesses are: increased operational costs,

difficulty in meeting customer service objectives, and increased workload for current employees.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. All respondents reported

raising wages as a means to address this shortage.

vi. Further input from the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has provided evidence that there is a shortage of specialist medical practitioners in Malaysia. According to MMA, there are enough medical graduates, but insufficient training and housemanship placements for them. The Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia also shares similar sentiments.





Occupation: Environmental and Occupational Health and Hygiene Professional


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2263-04; 2263-06; 2263-11; 2263-14; 2263-18; 2263-22; 2263-30; 2263-31


Hazardous Waste Management Technologist; Occupational Health and Safety Officer; Safety and Health Officer; Industrial Safety Officer (Occupational Safety and Health); Occupational Safety Officer; Radiation Protection Expert; Waste Management Competence Person; Building Auditor


2016 No

Evidence:





Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 11 nominations from 10 companies in 7 different sectors, with the top three sectors being: manufacturing; mining and quarrying, and transportation and storage. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for industrial safety officers (occupational safety and health).

ii. Respondents reported that jobs within this occupation group do not require extensive work experience, with most companies reporting the need for professionals with 2 to 4 years work experience. However, this occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lack the required technical skills, and also have salary expectations beyond companies’ compensation policy. There is also strong competition from other sectors. There are some cases of vacancies taking more than 5 months to fill. Following this, most companies have found this occupation to be harder to fill compared to a year ago.

iii. There is some evidence of education and certification-related barriers to filling these roles. A bachelor’s degree is required for all vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey. In addition, some companies reported requiring professional certification or credentials such as being a Certified Safety and Health Office (Green Book) from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

iv. Due to the shortage, most companies have also reported increasing workload for current employees.

In addition to that, a few respondents reported increment in operational costs and difficulty in strategizing for the future.


expanding local recruitment efforts in addition to other efforts such as outsourcing the job function and even hiring less well qualified workers.

vi. We received further input from the Energy Commission (EC), The Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM) and a large oil and gas company that this occupation is highly sought-after and critical, due to the need to comply to safety regulations. There is also a growing demand for technical safety officers who are more specialised than industrial safety officers, for companies who wish to comply with international standards.





Occupation: University and Higher Education Professional Teacher


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2311-13; 2311-15


University Lecturer; College Lecturer


2016 Yes

Evidence:





Top-down data:

1. Employment growth - 1 year Yes 7. Wage premium growth - 1 year Yes




No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 15 nominations from 15 companies, with most nominations from the education sector. The job titles nominated reflect the need for university and college lecturers. Companies only nominated these specific job titles, so other job titles that are different in nature are not included in the COL.

ii. Companies reported that jobs within this occupation group require some work experience, with 43%

of companies reporting the need for applicants with 2 to 4 years of work experience. As such,

companies reported that this occupation is hard-to-fill because job applicants lack the relevant job

experience and required certification.

iii. There is education and certification-related barriers to filling these roles. A minimum of a Master’s

degree is required for most vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey. Administrative data from TalentCorp indicates that companies have been looking for expatriates to fill roles focusing on medical and health sciences, sciences, languages, education, and engineering.

iv. The most commonly cited impact of shortage is an increment in existing workload for current

employees. Some companies also reported having difficulty in meeting customer service objectives.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. While there is no overall

preference in strategies to address the shortage, companies reported resorting to various initiatives, including hiring less qualified applicants, expanding local and international recruitment efforts, converting part-time workers to full time status, and hiring temporary workers. However, it is interesting to note that none of the respondents have raised wages as a means to address the shortages.

vi. The International College of Music (ICOM) noted that there continues to be a lack of talented and qualified lecturers to teach undergraduate music degrees. ICOM faces difficulty in hiring lecturers with masters or doctorate degrees in contemporary music education to teach at the undergraduate degree level, as most producers and arrangers do not have any degree qualification. ICOM also reported difficulties in hiring expatriate faculty, due to certain restrictions of expatriates teaching at institutions of higher education. The Malaysia Institute of Accountants (MIA) also noted a need for academic staff with accountancy qualifications.





Occupation: Accountant


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2411-09; 2411-10; 2411-12; 2411-13; 2411-18; 2411-20; 2411-21; 2411-25; 2411-26; 2411-28; 2411-35; 2411-42; 2411-50


Auditing Accountant; Accountant; Tax Accountant; Tax Consultant; Management Accountant; Company Accountant; Account Executive; Financial Controller; Account Receivable Executive; Assistant Account Executive Officer; Auditor; Payroll Analyst; Adjuster


2016 Yes

Evidence:




Talent/Skills studies ▪ Medical Devices Environmental Scan ▪ Logistics Environmental Scan

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 59 nominations from 56 companies in 13 different sectors, with the top three sectors being manufacturing; construction; and other activities. Companies mostly nominated regular accountants, while other job title nominations include account executives, auditors, and financial controllers.

ii. Companies reported that jobs within this occupation group do not require extensive work experience. Yet, companies reported that the vacancies are hard-to-fill because there were too few applicants, and that applicants lack the relevant job experience and technical skills. Companies reported that this occupation remains as difficult to fill as compared to last year, although it generally only takes 2 months to fill up most vacancies.

iii. Most of the respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey reported requiring at least a bachelor’s

degree for this occupation. In addition, respondents prefer applicants with an accounting professional certification (e.g. with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). Our consultation with the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) indicated that although local universities produce many accounting graduates, there is a need for more graduates to take up professional certification.

iv. Starting 2018, there will be a change of accounting standard through the enforcement of MFRS15 (revenue standard) and MFRS9 (financial instrument). This change will affect auditing firms in terms of the set of skills required. Some accountants will eventually be required to be competent in both accounting and information technology, to fill hybrid roles. MIA suggests that academia should be well-trained in updated skillsets in order to maintain a sustainable pipeline for producing accountants in Malaysia.

v. To address their hiring issues, companies reported raising wages, expanding local recruitment

efforts, and hiring less qualified applicants. Existing employees have also seen an increased workload due to the shortage.

vi. Accountants fill market needs across different industries. Both the logistics and medical devices sectors reported a need for accountants in their environmental scans. This also validates the feedback from MIA that accountants are needed in the market, regardless of industry.





Occupation: Financial Analyst


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2413-01; 2413-03; 2413-06; 2413-11; 2413-12; 2413-18; 2413-21


Financial Analyst; Investment Consultant; Research Analyst; Financial Officer; Risk Management Officer; Transfer Pricing; Credit Risk Management


2016 Yes

Evidence:




Talent/Skills studies ▪ Talent Gaps in the Financial Services Industry in Malaysia (2015) – AIF

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 13 nominations from 10 companies in 3 sectors, with the top sector being the financial and insurance/takaful services sector. The job titles nominated reflect the need for financial analysts and credit risk management officers.

ii. Companies report that jobs within this occupation group require extensive work experience,

technical skills, and certifications. This occupation is hard-to-fill because of strong competition for applicants from other industries / sectors. Applicants also lack the relevant job experience and expect salaries beyond the market rate. However, most respondents have found this occupation to be neither more nor less hard-to-fill, with most vacancies taking up less than 30 days to be filled.

iii. There is some evidence of education and certification-related barriers to filling these roles. A

bachelor’s degree is required for all vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey. In addition, a substantial minority of occupations require a professional certification or license such as those issued by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Malaysia or a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification.

iv. The ‘Talent Gaps in the Financial Services Industry in Malaysia’ report by the Asian Institute of Finance (AIF) notes a demand for young professionals with specific skills, such as client relationship management, financial products skills, and interpersonal skills.

v. Due to this shortage, companies have reported increased workload for current employees. A few respondents also reported an increase in operational costs due to the difficulty in filling up the vacancies.

vi. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Consistent with the claim that this occupation requires a particular set of technical skills, most respondents do not report hiring less well qualified workers. Instead, most reported expanding local recruitment efforts to address the shortage.





Occupation: Research and Development Professional


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2426-12; 2426-08


Research and Development Executive; Agriculture Biotech Researcher


2016 No

Evidence:


Bottom-up CfE survey 1 nomination


Talent/Skills studies ▪ Medical Devices Environmental Scan

Top-down data:

1. Employment growth - 1 year Yes 7. Wage premium growth - 1 year N/A

2. Employment growth - 3 years Yes 8. Number of vacancies No



No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 1 nomination from 1 company in the professional, scientific and technical activities sector. Company only nominated the job title of research and development executive.

ii. This occupation is hard-to-fill because job applicants lack the relevant job experience and expected compensation beyond market rates. However, company reported this occupation takes less than 30 days to fill.

iii. A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required for almost all vacancies listed by the respondent in our

Call-for-Evidence survey. In addition, the respondent reported that applicants do not need any particular certifications to qualify for this occupation.

iv. Due to this shortage, the company reported having to increase workload of current workers.

v. The company has resorted to hiring temporary or contract workers in order to address this shortage.

vi. The Scientific and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM) reported that vacancies for experienced PhD researchers are hard-to-fill. They are looking for researchers with expertise in nanotechnology.

vii. The Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) reported they are looking for breeding specialists to develop new breeding genomes for agricultural products.

viii. Additionally, the Medical Devices Environmental Scan reported that 5 companies from the manufacturing of other medical consumables in the study considered research and development professionals as being crucial for their operation and business growth.





Occupation: Public Relations Professional


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2432-05; 2432-06; 2432-07; 2432-09; 2432-14; 2432-17; 2432-19


Industrial Relations Executive; Public Relations Executive; Corporate Communication Executive; Customer Service Officer; Sales Reservation Executive; Front Office Officer

2015 No

2016 No




Consultation -


Evidence:

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 14 nominations from 13 companies in 8 different sectors, with the top three sectors being other services and activities, manufacturing and education sectors. The job titles nominated reflect the need for customer service executives.

ii. Companies report that jobs within this occupation group do not require extensive work experience or technical skills. This occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lack the relevant job experience and/or skills such as time management and creativity. They also do not favour the working environment. Additionally, respondents reported that this occupation is harder to fill compared to one year ago.

iii. There is no evidence of education and certification-related barriers in filling these roles. Two thirds

of companies indicated they require at least a diploma or an SPM certificate only. However, several companies stated a preference for people who studied marketing, economics, and/or management.

iv. Due to this shortage, companies reported difficulty in meeting customer service objectives, increasing workload for current workers, and an increase in operational costs.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Consistent with the claims that this occupation does not require a particular set of technical skills, respondents reported hiring less well qualified workers and expanding local recruitment efforts to address the shortage, in addition to increasing working hours.

vi. Further consultation with a public relations company reveals difficulty in hiring for this occupation, especially for public relations professionals with more than 3 years of experience.





Occupation: Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Sales Professional


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2434-01; 2434-03; 2434-04; 2434-05


Sales Representative (Information and Communications Technology); Product Support Engineer; Information Technology Sales Engineer; Customer Support Representative


2016 Yes

Evidence:





Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 10 nominations from 8 companies in 3 sectors, with most nominations coming from the information and communication sector. Evidence suggests that this occupation shortage is specific to certain sectors. The job titles nominated reflect the need for product support engineers and sales representatives of information and communications technology.

ii. Respondents reported that jobs within this occupation group do not require extensive work

experience. This occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lack the relevant technical skills, job experience, and soft skills. Following that, respondents reported to find this occupation harder to fill compared to one year ago. However, the average time taken to fill the vacancies mostly amount up to only 30 days or less. Top-down evidence on the number of potential job applications by jobseekers suggests that there may be enough jobseekers, but they do not meet employers’ requirements.

iii. A minimum of diploma is required for jobs in this occupation group. Consultation with the National

ICT Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) showed a growing demand for ICT sales professionals, which remains unfulfilled. PIKOM noted that these professionals require specific technical knowledge on ICT products, which is difficult for employers to find. Additionally, PIKOM indicated that these ICT sales professionals also act as technical consultants, which requires these professionals to be well versed in the ICT retail industry.

iv. As this occupation is technical and important by nature, tasks completed by ICT sales professionals

impact the sales of ICT products, directly contributing to the profit margin of ICT companies. Bottom-up evidence suggests that respondents are feeling the effects of the difficulty in hiring qualified candidates. Many companies reported experiencing a loss of business, and increased workload for current employees.


expanding local recruitment efforts, hiring less well qualified applicants, and increasing workers’ training.





Occupation: Systems Analyst


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2511-04; 2511-06; 2511-07; 2511-08; 2511-18; 2511-24; 2511-42; 2511-56; 2511-70; 2511-74


Computer Systems Analyst; IT Systems Consultant; Information Technology Consultant; Information Technology Business Analyst; Information Technology Security Analyst; Information Technology Specialist (.Net); System Engineer (Oracle); Security Analyst (IT); Computer and System Administrator; Tera Data


2016 Yes

Evidence:




Talent/Skills studies ▪ Malaysian Digital Talent Study 2017

Top-down data:





Yes


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 18 nominations from 16 companies in 4 different sectors, with most nominations coming from the information and communication sector. The job titles nominated reflect the need for computer systems analysts and IT developers.

ii. Respondents reported that jobs within this occupation group require extensive work experience.

This occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lack the required technical skills and relevant job experience. However, vacancies usually take up to 30 days or less to fill, and most respondents have found this occupation to be neither more nor less hard-to-fill compared to a year ago.

iii. Almost all positions require a bachelor’s degree in computer science. Some also require certification

in a particular programming language (e.g. Java and C++), or other certifications such as Certified Tester Foundation Level and Advanced Level Certificates.

iv. Due to this shortage, almost all companies reported an increment in workload for current employees. A few respondents also faced difficulty in meeting customer service objectives and suffered a loss in revenue.


expanding local recruitment efforts in addition to other efforts such as increasing workers’ training and hiring temporary or contract workers.

vi. Consultation with the Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission (MCMC) indicated that this occupation is sought-after by the industry. Additionally, from the demand side assessment of Malaysian Digital Talent Study 2017, job titles such as Peoplesoft consultant; Oracle consultant; ABAP consultant; motherboard designer; database engineer; .Net consultant; Java consultant are the top trending job titles in the digital industry currently.





Occupation: Software Developer


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2512-10; 2512-14; 2512-16; 2512-19; 2512-23; 2512-26; 2512-29; 2512-33

Only the following occupations included in the Critical Occupations List (COL):

C/C++ Software Engineer; Java Developer; Web Programmer (PHP); System Architect (IT); Software Engineer (SharePoint) (IT); Software Design Engineers; SAP Application Developer; Data Visualization Developer


2016 Yes

Evidence:




Talent/Skills studies ▪ ICT Job Market Outlook in Malaysia (10th Edition - June 2017) – PIKOM

▪ Malaysia Digital Talent Study 2017

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 33 nominations from 26 companies in 8 different sectors, with the top three sectors being: information and communications; professional, scientific and technical activities; and other service activities. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for software developers, Java developers and software engineers.

ii. Respondents reported that jobs within this occupation group require about 2 to 4 years of work

experience. Companies reported that there are too few applicants for this occupation, with strong competition from other industries for these applicants. Applicants either lack the required skills for this occupation or have unrealistic salary expectations. More than half the respondents reported this occupation being harder to fill compared to last year. On average, this occupation takes up to 3 months to fill, while some companies reported taking more than 5 months to fill this occupation.

iii. There is specific feedback that only a small percentage of IT graduates are interested to work in computer programming-related jobs. Also, it seems to be difficult to find people with both the right skillsets and work attitude for this occupation.

iv. Most companies were looking for candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree, especially those with a computer science background. Some occupations also require professional certifications, such as:

a. Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) b. Knowledge on JavaScript-based applications (e.g. the JS Angular web application framework) c. NetWeaver

v. This occupation shortage has resulted in an increased workload for existing employees. Companies

have also reported difficulties in meeting customer service objectives, as well as a decreased ability to develop new products, services, or upgrades.

vi. Companies have responded to these difficulties by expanding local recruitment efforts, raising wages, and hiring temporary/contract workers.

vii. Consultation with Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) confirms that this occupation is critical to the telecommunications industry. The National ICT Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) report also suggested skills gaps in this occupation. They noted that in addition to technical skills required, project management skills are also needed to gain a better edge in the ICT industry.

viii. Additionally, job titles such as programmers/developers and software engineer are top trending job titles currently in overall digital industry from the demand side assessment of Malaysia Digital Talent Study 2017 report. These job titles might be difficult to fill up in the near future, specifically in areas such as: Big Data Analytics, FinTech, and E-commerce.





Occupation: Applications Programmer


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2514-01; 2514-02; 2514-03; 2514-04; 2514-07; 2514-08; 2514-09; 2514-19; 2514-22


Computer Programmer; Software Programmer; Technical Programmer; Information Technology Programmer; Systems Programmer; Analyst Programmer; Applications Programmer; C/C++ Programmer; Java Programmer


2016 Yes

Evidence:




Talent/Skills studies ▪ ICT Job Market Outlook in Malaysia (10th Edition - June 2017) – PIKOM

Top-down data:





Yes


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 24 nominations from 16 companies in 5 different sectors, with the top three sectors being: information and communication; financial and insurance/takaful activities; and manufacturing. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for computer programmers, system developers, and application programmers.

ii. Companies reported that jobs within this occupation group require extensive work experience. Companies reported hiring difficulties due to a lack of applicants, and applicants lacking lack relevant job experience and technical skills. This occupation generally takes less than 2 months to fill, and companies report that this occupation is neither more nor less hard-to-fill compared to last year.

iii. Respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey reported requiring at least a bachelor’s degree for this

occupation. Specifically, companies are looking for coders in languages such as Java and C++, as well as proficiencies in other software (e.g. Prophets, FoxPro, webMethods). Consultation with The National ICT Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) indicated that while local universities produce many ICT graduates, there is a need for more workers to take up professional certifications.

iv. Companies reported raising wages, expanding local and international recruitment efforts, and

increasing workers’ training. They have also increased the workload of current employees.

v. PIKOM highlighted that experienced programmers who are familiar with older technology (e.g. traditional mainframe knowledge, COBOL) are still in high demand. Some companies (e.g. banks) are still using ‘old frame’ systems, which is not well known to younger programmers. This is in line with most companies’ comments, which are willing to pay more for experienced applicants with specialised programming certifications.

vi. Our further consultations with MCMC and a local telecommunication company also suggested that this occupation is sought-after. This is because application programmers are required for the application and system development of a company.





Occupation: Software and Applications Developer and Analyst Not Elsewhere Classified


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2519-01; 2519-06; 2519-08; 2519-11


Software Tester; Quality Engineer (IT); Solution Architect (IT); Software QA Engineer (IT)


2016 Yes

Evidence:





Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 8 nominations from 8 companies in 3 different sectors, with most nominations coming from the information and communications sector. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for software testers, quality engineers (IT) and solution architects (IT).

ii. Companies reported that jobs within this occupation group require extensive work experience and

the vacancies are hard-to-fill because applicants lack the required technical skills. Furthermore, they reported the vacancies take 1 to 3 months to fill and it has become harder to fill compared to last year.

iii. Almost all respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey reported requiring at least a bachelor’s degree

for this occupation. In addition, one of the respondents reported that applicants need particular certifications, such as the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) certification, to qualify for this occupation.

iv. Almost all companies reported an increased workload for their current employees due to this

shortage. A significant few also reported increased operational costs.

v. Consistent with the claim that this occupation requires a particular set of technical skills, most respondents do not report hiring less well qualified workers. Instead, the companies have resorted to expanding local and international recruitment efforts.

vi. Consultations with Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and a large telecommunications company reaffirm that this occupation is sought-after.

vii. Additionally, from the demand side assessment of Malaysian Digital Talent Study 2017 report, job titles such as software QA engineer, solution architect and application assurance engineer within this occupation group are currently the top trending job titles in the digital industry. These job titles might be difficult to fill up in the near future, specifically in areas such as: Big Data Analytics, Internet of Things, and E-commerce.





Occupation: Database Designer and Administrator


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2521-01; 2521-03; 2521-15


Database Architect; Database Administrator; Internal Auditor (IT)


2016 Yes

Evidence:





Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 4 nominations from 4 companies in 3 different sectors, with most nominations coming from the manufacturing sector. The job titles nominated reflect the need for solution architectures, database administrators and IT auditors.

ii. Companies reported that jobs within this occupation group require extensive work experience (more

than 4 years of work experience). They noted that this occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants’ expected compensation beyond the market rate. Furthermore, on average, this occupation takes more than 5 months to fill.


Call-for-Evidence survey. The companies reported that they intend to hire applicants with a computer science background, with a preference for technicians who have the required professional certification. Examples of certain requirements are:

a. Teradata, HortonWorks Hadoop, HBase, Mongo DB, Master Data Management b. Certified Information System Auditor (CISA)

iv. A substantial number of companies reported having to increase workload of current workers due to

the shortage. A few have also reported revenue losses, as well as difficulty in meeting product or service quality objectives.

v. The companies have resorted to overcoming this shortage by expanding local recruitment and raising

wages.

vi. The National ICT Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) reported that experts on database design with specific certifications and specialisations are critical. Fresh graduates with a general degree in statistics, mathematics, and ICT, would need to take further industry certification for upskilling. The Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) also reported a need for IT auditors. They are looking for IT auditors who understand accounting and IT in order to fulfil multiple job functions.

vii. Additionally, 5 companies from the Logistics Environmental Scan also nominated this occupation as critical. From the Malaysian Digital Talent Study 2017 report, job title data engineer is also reported as one of the top trending job title currently in digital industry.





Occupation: Systems Administrator


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2522-12; 2522-13; 2522-15; 2522-19; 2522-30; 2522-40; 2522-43


Information Technology Support Officer; Systems Administrator; Information Technology Executive; System Engineer (IT); System Support Specialist; Customer Support Engineer; Technical Support Engineer (IT)


2016 Yes

Evidence:




Talent/Skills studies ▪ Logistics Environmental Scan ▪ Malaysian Digital Talent Study 2017

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 19 nominations from 16 companies in 7 different sectors with the top 3 sectors being: information and communication; manufacturing; and other service and activities. The jobs nominated reflect the need for information technology support officers, information technology support executives and systems administrators.


experience. This occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lack the relevant technical skills, job experience, and/or the required credentials/certifications. However, respondents noted that most of the vacancies take only 30 days or less to fill and were neither more nor less hard-to-fill compared to one year ago.

iii. There is some evidence there are education and certification-related barriers to filling these

vacancies. A bachelor’s degree is required for all vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey. In addition, a substantial minority of occupations require particular skills or knowledge such as the AS400, COBOL, SMART400 and SLDC. Furthermore, The Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM) suggests that there is no continuity in talent despite a strong pool of talent in the Electrical and Electronics sector.

iv. Almost all companies reported an increased workload for current employees. In addition to that, a few respondents also reported difficulty in meeting customer service objectives and product/service quality objectives due to the shortage.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Companies reported expanding local recruitment efforts and hiring temporary or contract workers, which is reflected in the top-down positive employment growth indicators for three years.

vi. Additionally, 14 companies from the Logistics Environmental Scan nominated this occupation as being critical. From the Malaysian Digital Talent Study 2017 report, job title project engineer is reported as one of top trending job title currently in digital industry.





Occupation: Computer Network Professional




Network Engineer


2016 Yes

Evidence:



Consultation -


Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 4 nominations from 4 companies in 2 different sectors - most of the nominations came from the information and communications sector. Companies only nominated the job title of network engineer.

ii. About 40% of the nominations require extensive work experience of more than 4 years. Companies

find this job hard-to-fill because applicants lack the required technical skills. Qualified applicants are also sought-after in other industries. However, this occupation takes only 1-2 months to fill, and most companies reported this job being neither more nor less hard-to-fill compared to last year.

iii. All respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey reported requiring at least a bachelor’s degree in

computer science for this occupation, although they did not specify a need for specific professional certifications.

iv. The shortage in this occupation has resulted in an increased workload for existing employees.

Companies have responded to this by raising wages and increasing workers’ training.

v. Further validations with MCMC and an MDEC focus group reaffirm that this occupation is indeed in high demand in the industry. Additionally, from the Malaysian Digital Talent Study 2017 report, network engineer is one of the top trending job title currently in the digital industry. This job title might be difficult to fill up in the near future, specifically in areas such as cloud/datacentre.





Occupation: Electrical Engineering Technician


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 3113-02; 3113-07; 3113-14


Electrical Engineering Technician; Electrical Supervisor; Electrical Technician


2016 Yes

Evidence:




Talent/Skills studies ▪ A Study of the Malaysian Plastic Industry Skills Needs Final Report (2017) - MPMA

▪ Medical Devices Environmental Scan ▪ Machinery/Equipment and Advanced Engineering

Environmental Scan

Top-down data:





Yes


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 28 nominations from 19 companies in 10 different sectors, with the top three sectors being; manufacturing; accommodation and food services; electricity, gas, steam and air condition supply. The job titles nominated reflect the need for electrical engineering technicians, electrical supervisors and electrical technicians.

ii. Respondents reported that most jobs within this occupation group do not require extensive work experience - most vacancies need electrical engineering technicians with less than 2 years working experience. This occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lack of relevant job experience, and their compensation expectations exceed the market rate. Despite this, most vacancies are reported to take up to 30 days or less to fill and most companies have found this occupation to be neither more nor less hard-to-fill compared to one year ago.

iii. This occupation generally requires at least a diploma, preferably in electricity and energy. In addition,

some companies have stated additional requirements, such as: a) Registration with Energy Commission b) Chargeman Certificate.

iv. Due to this shortage, almost all companies also reported an increase in workload for current

employees. A few respondents also reported an increase in operational costs and difficulty in meeting customer service objectives.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Companies have resorted

to raising wages, increasing workers training, and outsourcing job functions when needed.

vi. The Study of the Malaysian Plastic Industry Skills Needs Final Report (2017) reported that 30% out of the 60 surveyed companies have difficulty finding qualified applicants for this occupation.

vii. Furthermore, from the Machinery/Equipment and Advanced Engineering Environmental Scan, 11 out of 35 surveyed companies nominated this as a critical occupation. The main reasons for difficulties in hiring for these positions were due to a small supply pool of talent, and the lack of technical skills/competencies/specialised knowledge. Companies from the Medical Devices Environmental Scan reported that talent shortage occur within this occupation is due to high turnover rate.





Occupation: Electronics Engineering Technician


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 3114-02; 3114-03


Electronics Engineering Technician; CAD/CAM Technician; Test Technician


2016 Yes

Evidence:





Top-down data:





Yes


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 5 nominations from 5 companies, with the majority of companies from the manufacturing sector. The job titles nominated reflect the need for electronics engineering technicians, test technicians, debug technicians, and computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technicians.

ii. Companies reported that jobs within this occupation group require some work experience, with 47%

of vacancies requiring applicants with 2 to 4 years of work experience. This occupation is hard-to-fill

because applicants lack the relevant job experience and/or certification. Nevertheless, most

companies noted the occupation is neither more nor less hard-to-fill now, compared to a year ago.

iii. There is an education-related barrier to filling these roles. A minimum of a diploma is required for

most vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey. A majority of the companies reported that they are looking for applicants with a background in electricity and energy.

iv. Due to this shortage, companies reported an increased workload for employees, and difficulties in

meeting customer service objectives. Some companies have also reported facing an increment in

operational costs.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Companies reported that

they have been increasing the amount of training provided for their workers. However, it is interesting to note that none of the respondents have raised wages as a means to address the shortages.

vi. The Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission and Malaysian Textile and Apparel Centre have indicated that electronics engineering technicians are critical. However, The Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM) did not report such a shortage.

vii. The Study on Skill Shortages in the Textile and Apparel Industry (2014) report showed 7 employers (22.5% of survey respondents) reporting a serious shortage of CAD specialists. In today’s competitive industry landscape, CAD has become a necessity. It integrates production with management, which saves time, reduces manual labour and error, and also reduces waste.





Occupation: Mechanical Engineering Technician


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 3115-06; 3115-07; 3115-08; 3115-13; 3115-27; 3115-30; 3115-34; 3115-35


Mechanical Engineering Technician; Mechanical Engineering Technician (Industrial); Mechanical Engineering Technician (Motors and Engines); Rotary Technicians; Machinery Technician; Welding Technician; Mechanical Technician; CNC Supervisor


2016 Yes

Evidence:





▪ Machinery/Equipment and Advanced Engineering Environmental Scan

▪ Logistics Environmental Scan ▪ Medical Devices Environmental Scan

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 44 nominations from 40 companies in 7 different sectors. More than half of the nominations come from the manufacturing sector. Companies have nominated many job titles within this occupation group and these job titles are highly similar in names and nature. Machinery technicians and mechanical technicians make up more than half of the nominated job titles.

ii. Less than 20% of the respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey reported requiring extensive work experience for this occupation. This occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lack of relevant job experience and/or technical skills. Although this occupation generally takes less than 2 months to fill, some companies reported this occupation being harder to fill compared to last year.

iii. Most respondents reported requiring at least a diploma or SPM, but do not require any additional professional certifications for this occupation. However, more than half of them preferred applicants who had experience in mechanics and metal work. Some companies reported that relevant knowledge and skills can only be obtained via hands-on experience.

iv. Additionally, companies have specifically mentioned that turnover is an issue, and that there is high competition in the market for experienced technicians. A member company of Malaysian Oil & Gas Services Council (MOGSC) also opined that senior rotating and static technicians are hard to fill in the company.

v. Consultation with NAICO suggests a need for welding technicians in the aerospace industry. There are also separate nominations from 3 MIDA environmental scans in the machinery & equipment, logistics, and medical devices sectors respectively. For example, companies from the Medical Devices Environmental Scan reported that mechanical engineering technicians is critical because there is high turnover rate.





Occupation: Physical and Engineering Science Technician Not Elsewhere Classified


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 3119-07; 3119-14; 3119-19; 3119-24; 3119-27; 3119-31; 3119-33; 3119-34; 3119-36; 3119-37; 3119-38


Quantity Surveying Technician; Production Engineering Technician; Process Technician; Maintenance Technician Quality Control Technician; Industrial Technician; Industrial Maintenance Technician; Production Technician; Moulding Technician; Equipment Technician; Quality Assurance Engineering Technician


2016 No

Evidence:




Talent/Skills studies ▪ A Study of the Malaysian Plastic Industry Skills Needs Final Report (2017) - MPMA

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 49 nominations from 47 companies in 12 different sectors, with 65% of the nominations coming from the manufacturing sector. Demand for this occupation seems to be sector specific. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for maintenance technicians, production technicians, and quality control technicians.


experience. This occupation is hard-to-fill because there are too few applicants, and applicants lack the required technical or occupational skills. However, this occupation takes only 1 month to fill and companies reported that this occupation is neither more nor less hard-to-fill compared to last year.

iii. There is evidence that there is some gap in specialised certifications because almost all respondents

in our Call-for-Evidence survey reported requiring at least a diploma degree for this occupation. In addition, respondents reported that applicants need particular certifications to qualify for this occupation, such as: diploma in technical engineering, chargeman certificate, or a degree in related fields.

iv. Due to this shortage, almost all companies reported an increased workload. More than half of the

companies also reported increased operational costs.

v. Consistent with the claim that this occupation requires a particular set of technical skills, most respondents do not report hiring less well qualified workers. Instead, they reported expanding local recruitment efforts, raising wages, and increasing workers’ training. The top-down indicator for wage premium growth over the last year also agrees with this feedback.

vi. The Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) report noted the skills gap as an issue, based on feedback from 60 plastic manufacturing companies. Companies are able to hire people, but most of the hires do not have the adequate skills. 53.8% of the surveyed companies reported that the quality control technicians they hired had skills that were below expectations.





Occupation: Manufacturing Supervisor


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 3122-01; 3122-02; 3122-05; 3122-09; 3122-13; 3122-14


Manufacturing Supervisor; Production Supervisor; Compounding Supervisor; Plywood Inspection Supervisor; Manufacturing Area Co-ordinator; Quality Control Inspector


2016 No

Evidence:






Top-down data:





Yes


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 28 nominations from 28 companies in 3 different sectors, with most nominations from the manufacturing sector. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for manufacturing supervisors, factory supervisors and quality control inspectors.

ii. Companies reported that jobs within this occupation group do not require extensive work experience, with a majority of the companies reporting the need for manufacturing supervisors with less than 2 years of work experience. This occupation is hard-to-fill because there are not enough applicants, and applicants lack the relevant job experience. On average, this occupation takes less than 30 days to fill. As a whole, most companies reported that this occupation is harder to fill compared to a year ago.

iii. A minimum of a diploma is required for almost all vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-

Evidence survey. The companies reported that they intend to hire applicants from any field, with a preference for technicians with the required professional certification. Examples include:

a. Safety and Health Officer (SHO) certification b. Electrical Technician - AO Chargeman certification c. Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) certification

iv. Due to this shortage, a substantial number of companies reported having to increase the workload

of current workers. A few have also reported increased operational costs and difficulties in meeting product/service quality objectives.

v. Companies have responded by increasing workers’ training and raising wages.

vi. The MATAC talent study reported that 38.7% out of the 80 surveyed employers found it hard to recruit locals as quality controllers - this occupation is essential for companies to avoid defects, reworks, and client rejections. For high-end products, quality controllers also need to be certified by the clients. Overseas buyers are becoming increasingly stringent in quality issues, making the need for competent quality controllers even more urgent.

vii. The Medical Devices Environmental Scan reported that 6 out of 18 companies view manufacturing supervisors as critical for their operation and business growth.





Occupation: Construction Supervisor


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 3123-01; 3123-02; 3123-03; 3123-04; 3123-05


Operation Supervisor; Project Supervisor; Construction Supervisor; Site Supervisor; Site Coordinator


2016 No

Evidence:



Consultation; 1 consultation

Talent/Skills studies ▪ Human Capital Management in Malaysia’s Construction Industry (2017) – CIDB

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 30 nominations from 24 companies in 7 different sectors, with the top three sectors being construction; manufacturing; and professional, scientific and technical activities. However, a majority of the nominations indicate that this issue is sector specific to the construction sector. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for site supervisors.


experience, with most companies reporting the need for construction supervisors with 2 to 4 years work experience. However, the lack of relevant job experience is the most-cited reason behind the occupation being hard-to-fill in addition to the lack of required technical skills amongst limited pool of applicants. Most vacancies taking up to only 30 days or less to be filled, and companies have found this occupation to be neither more nor less hard-to-fill compared to a year ago. However, there are some cases of vacancies that take up 3 to 6 months to fill.

iii. Most respondents reported needing at least a diploma or SPM for this occupation. Most companies

did not specify additional professional certifications required for this occupation. However, about 20% respondents reported that they prefer to hire applicants who have the required certification, such as:

a. License H (Tractor/Mobile Machinery Heavy (Wheeled) unladen weight exceeding 5000 kg) b. Professional Certification by Board of Engineers Malaysia, Construction Industry

Development Board, or Association of Energy Services Professionals

iv. Due to this shortage, companies reported an increase in existing workload for current employees. A substantial number of companies also reported having difficulty in meeting customer service objectives and increased operational costs.

v. To address their hiring issues, companies reported that they have been increasing the amount of

training provided for their workers, raising wages, and hiring less qualified applicants.

vi. Consultation with a few companies provided additional evidence that site supervisors are hard to

hire because not many people are willing to work in uncomfortable environments. These companies

have resorted to hiring foreigners to fill up these roles.

vii. The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) also provided evidence that there is a shortage

of qualified construction supervisors in Malaysia. Administrative data from TalentCorp indicates that

companies have been looking to expatriates to fill this role.





Occupation: Aircraft Technician


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 3151-03; 3151-04; 3151-06; 3151-07


Aircraft Technician; Aviation Maintenance Technician; Aircraft Maintenance Technician (Airframes); Aircraft Maintenance Technician (Engines)


2016 Yes

Evidence:

Top-down indicators Insufficient data




Top-down data:


2. Employment growth - 3 years N/A 8. Number of vacancies N/A

3. Working hours growth - 1 year N/A 9. Vacancy rate N/A


N/A


N/A






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 6 nominations from 2 companies in 2 different sectors, mostly from the transportation and storage sector. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for license aircraft engineers and aircraft technicians.

ii. Companies reported that jobs within this occupation group require extensive work experience, with 40% of companies reporting the need for aircraft technicians with more than 4 years of work experience. This occupation is hard-to-fill because there are too few applicants.

iii. A minimum of SPM is required for almost all vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence

survey. The companies reported that they intend to hire applicants with computer science and craft skills, with a preference for technicians who have the required professional certification. Examples of these certifications include:

a. Technician Certification Category B- CAT B, certified by Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia b. Personnel Certification in NDT (PCN) c. American Society for Non-Destructive Testing


of current workers. A few have also reported facing difficulty in meeting product or service quality objectives, as well as increased operational costs.

v. The companies have addressed this shortage by increasing workers’ training and hiring temporary or contract workers.

vi. The NAICO study reported that the aviation industry is looking for aircraft technicians for new

projects and business expansion.





Occupation: Environmental and Occupational Health Inspector and Associate


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 3257-13; 3257-16; 3257-25; 3257-27


Safety and Health Technician; Safety and Health Inspector; Field Supervisor (Occupational Safety and Health); Food Inspector


2016 No

Evidence:





Top-down data:





No

5. Education level decrease - 1 year Yes 11. Number of potential job applications by jobseekers

No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 3 nominations from 3 companies in 3 different sectors. Most of the nominations are from the manufacturing sector, suggesting that this shortage is sector specific. The job titles nominated reflect the need for safety and health technicians/inspectors and field supervisors.

ii. Respondents reported that most jobs within this occupation group do not require extensive work

experience - most vacancies only call for health and safety technicians with less than 2 years of work experience. This occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lack the relevant job experience, technical skills, or other required skills (e.g. soft skills, teamwork, creativity, problem solving). Companies have found this occupation harder to fill as compared to one year ago despite having most vacancies taking up to only 30 days or less to fill.

iii. This occupation requires at least a bachelor’s degree and specific certifications such as the safety

and health officer certificate from National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Consultation with a large oil and gas company in Malaysia suggests that fresh graduates are hired for this occupation and there is enough capacity to train them.

iv. Due to this shortage, almost all companies reported an increased workload for current employees.

Some also reported difficulty in meeting customer service objectives due to the shortage.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Companies have resorted to expanding local recruitment efforts and increasing workers training, in addition to increasing the working hours for current employees.





Occupation: Insurance Underwriter


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 3321-03; 3321-04; 3321-09


Insurance Underwriter; Insurance Consultant; Claims Officer


2016 Yes

Evidence:




Talent/Skills studies ▪ Talent Gap in the Financial Services Industry in Malaysia (2015) - AIF

Top-down data:





Yes


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 5 nominations from 4 companies in 2 different sectors, with most nominations coming from the financial and insurance/takaful activities sector. Most of the job title nominations are for insurance underwriters and insurance consultants. Companies only nominated these specific job titles; other job titles that are different in nature are not included in the COL.

ii. Companies reported that jobs within this occupation group require less than 4 years of work

experience. However, companies also reported that applicants for this occupation lack the required technical skills and had insufficient job experience. This occupation takes about 2 months to fill, and companies reported that this occupation is neither more nor less hard-to-fill compared to last year.

iii. Based on the Talent Gaps in the Financial Services Industry in Malaysia (2015) report, 32% of employers reported difficulty in hiring people to fill this occupation. 68% of employers also reported that there was a lack of competent and skilled employees in this occupation.

iv. The Malaysian Takaful Association (MTA) and Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM) also noted that the automation of basic underwriting has prevented newer underwriters from gaining exposure and experience. Additionally, older experienced underwriters will be leaving the workforce, which exacerbates the problem of lack of experience in this occupation.

v. Almost all the respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey reported requiring at least a bachelor’s

degree for this occupation. However, no particular licenses or professional certifications are needed for this occupation.

vi. Companies are tackling this issue by raising wages and expanding local recruitment efforts, as well

as increasing worker hours.





Occupation: Commercial Sales Agent


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 3322-08; 3322-09; 3322-28; 3322-30; 3322-34; 3322-35


Technical Sales Agent; Technical Adviser; Sales Engineer; Technical Sales Engineer; Social Media Marketing Executive; Digital Marketing Executive


2016 No

Evidence:





Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 93 nominations from 85 companies in 14 different sectors, with the top three sectors being: manufacturing; other services; wholesale and retail trade. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for technical sales agents, sales engineers and social media marketing executives.

ii. Companies reported that jobs within this occupation group require extensive work experience. This

occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lacking the relevant job experience. Although this occupation takes only 1 month to fill, companies reported that it has become harder to fill compared to last year.

iii. There is evidence that respondents prefer applicants with at least a diploma for this occupation.

Companies are looking to hire applicants from various fields of study.

iv. Due to this shortage, many companies reported an increased workload for current employees. A significant number of companies have also reported loss of business and orders due to the difficulty in filling up vacancies.

v. Companies have resorted to overcome this shortage by raising wages and expanding local

recruitment efforts.

vi. The Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM) indicated that technical sales agents are sought-after. Specifically, there will be an increase in demand in the future for sales engineers who understand product technicalities and are able to guide users to use the products. The Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) reported that the rise of digital platforms has created demand for new roles such as digital marketing executives.





Occupation: Buyer


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 3323-02; 3323-03; 3323-04; 3323-06


Purchasing Executive; Buyer; Buyer (Production Purchasing); Procurement Executive


2016 No

Evidence:





Top-down data:





Yes


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 12 nominations from 12 companies in 4 different sectors, with most coming from the manufacturing sector. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for purchasing executives, buyers and procurement specialists.


experience, with a majority of the companies willing to hire purchasers with less than 2 years of work experience. This occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lack the required technical skills or relevant job experience. Although on average this occupation takes less than 30 days to fill, most companies reported that this occupation has become harder to fill, compared to a year ago.

iii. A minimum of a diploma is required for almost all vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-

Evidence survey. In addition, respondents reported that applicants do not need any particular certifications to qualify for this occupation.


of current workers. A few have also reported difficulty in meeting customer and product/service quality objectives.

v. The companies have resorted to overcome this shortage by expanding local recruitment efforts and

hiring less well qualified applicants.

vi. The Study on Skill Shortages in the Textile and Apparel Industry report noted that 12 employers (38.7% of survey respondents) faced difficulties in recruiting merchandisers due to the high turnover rate.





Occupation: Computer Network and Systems Technician


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 3513-02; 3513-04


Network Support Technician; System Security & Application ICT Technician


2016 No

Evidence:





Top-down data:





Yes


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 4 nominations from 4 companies, with most nominations coming from the information

and communications sector. The job titles nominated reflect the need for network support technicians and system security & application ICT technicians.


all companies reporting the need for candidates with more than 4 years of work experience. This

occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lack the required technical skills and expect

compensation beyond the market rate. Companies also face strong competition from other

industries/sectors when hiring for this occupation. Furthermore, this occupation takes up to 4-6

months to fill and most companies reported this occupation is harder to fill compared to a year ago.

iii. A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required for all vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-

Evidence survey. Majority of the companies reported that they are looking for applicants with a computer science background.

iv. Due to this shortage, companies reported having to increase the workload of current workers, and also experienced higher operation costs.

v. Consistent with the claim that this occupation requires a particular set of technical skills, most respondents do not report hiring less well qualified workers. Instead, the companies have tried to overcome this shortage by expanding local recruitment efforts and raising wages for their workers.

vi. The Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and MDEC focus group provided further input, indicating that network support technicians are sought-after in the industry.





Occupation: CNC Machinist




CNC Machinist


2016 No

Evidence:





Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 11 nominations from 7 companies, with most of the companies coming from the manufacturing sector. CNC machinist was the only nominated job title.

ii. Companies reported that jobs within this occupation group require extensive work experience, with 44% of vacancies requiring applicants with more than 4 years of work experience. This occupation is hard-to-fill because applicants lack the relevant job experience. On average, this occupation takes 2 to 3 months to fill. As a whole, most companies reported that this occupation is harder to fill compared to a year ago.

iii. A minimum of SPM is required for almost all vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence

survey. The companies reported that they intend to hire applicants with mechanics and metal work backgrounds, with a preference for technicians who have the required professional certification, such as Level 2 certification in precision machining.

iv. Due to this shortage, companies reported experiencing a loss of business. A few companies also

reported difficulties in meeting product or service quality objectives, as well as increased operational costs.

v. Consistent with the claim that this occupation requires a particular set of technical skills, most respondents do not report hiring less well qualified workers. Instead, the companies have resorted to overcoming this shortage by expanding local recruitment efforts, increasing worker hours, and outsourcing job functions.

vi. Input from the Aerospace Industry Occupational Framework (2017) reported that companies are looking for machinists with experience in machining large products. There are quite a number of machinists in the market, but they only have experience in machining smaller products.





Occupation: Electrical Mechanic and Fitter


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 7412-04; 7412-07; 7412-11; 7412-19; 7412-23


High Voltage Restriction Chargeman; Wireman; Electrical Generator Operator; Lift Mechanic; Chargeman


2016 No

Evidence:





Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 11 nominations from 11 companies in 7 different sectors, with the top three sectors being: manufacturing; other services; and electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for chargemen and wiremen.


experience. However, it is important to note that some vacancies require more than 4 years of work experience. The companies reported that applicants lack the relevant job experience, required technical skills and credentials or certification as the main reasons of shortage. As a whole, most companies reported that this occupation has become harder to fill compared to one year ago with the vacancies taking up to extreme cases of more than 5 months to be filled.

iii. A majority of the companies reported that this occupation requires specific qualifications, such as:

a) Chargeman Certificate b) Certificate of Competence by the Energy Commission (EC).

iv. Due to this shortage, almost all companies also reported an increased workload for current

employees. In addition, a few respondents reported that there is an increase in operational costs due to the difficulty in filling up these vacancies.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this shortage. Companies reported expanding local and international recruitment efforts in addition to other efforts such as increasing workers’ training and raising wages.

vi. The Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM) reported that there are very few technicians in the market for hire. There are hiring issues at both junior and upper management levels for this occupation.

vii. The Energy Commission (EC) reported no shortage for certified B0 chargemen. However, there are only about 100 certified B4 chargemen in Malaysia (which are able to manage high voltage systems up to 33kV without any limitations). These certified and experienced chargemen are in shortage in Malaysia because the B4 license requires more than 10-14 years of experience.





Occupation: Rubber Products Machine Operator


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 8141-07; 8141-09; 8141-15


Maker, Tyre; Machine Operator, Rubber Products; Mill, Rubber


2016 No

Evidence:




Talent/Skills studies ▪ Medical Devices Environmental Scan

Top-down data:





Yes


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 13 nominations from 10 companies in 2 sectors (manufacturing and wholesale & retail trade). Most nominations were from the manufacturing sector. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for rubber products machine operators.

ii. Companies have reported that jobs within this occupation group do not require extensive work experience. This occupation is hard-to-fill because there are too few applicants. Additionally, one company reported their hires were not able to handle the working pressure in this occupation.

iii. Companies have also reported taking 30 days or less to fill the jobs within this occupation group. Despite this, most companies revealed that they have found the occupation to be harder to fill compared to a year ago.

iv. Due to this shortage, almost all companies reported an increased workload for current employees and increase in operational costs. To address this shortage, most respondents have reported increasing working hours and raising wages.

v. A minimum of SPM is required for most vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence

survey. In addition, most occupations do not require a professional certification or license. MRPMA suggested that there is a high demand for this occupation due to talent shortages. For a person to be well versed in the rubber product manufacturing industry, they must have the experience and knowledge to operate manufacturing machines.

vi. Based on the Medical Devices environmental scan, 5 surgical/medical gloves manufacturing companies nominated this occupation as critical. Additionally, companies reported that this occupation has high turnover rate. Companies also noted that the central region faces talent shortages, because most workers are working at the northern region where most medical device companies are located.





Occupation: Stationary Plant and Machine Operator Not Elsewhere Classified


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 8189-01; 8189-02; 8189-10


Machine Operator; Production Operator; Line Leader


2016 No

Evidence:





Top-down data:





Yes


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 32 nominations from 32 companies in 6 different sectors, with the top three sectors being: manufacturing; construction; and agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors. There is evidence of industry-specific demand for this occupation. The jobs nominated reflect the need for machine operators and production operators. Companies only nominated these specific job titles; other job titles that are different in nature are not included in the COL.


experience. This occupation is hard-to-fill because there are too few applicants, applicants do not like the working conditions associated with this occupation, and there is strong hiring competition from other industries for this occupation. Most respondents have also reported that this occupation has become harder to fill compared to one year ago. Despite this, most occupations only take 30 days or less to fill.

iii. Most vacancies listed by respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey require only SPM level

certificates with no additional particular certifications needed.

iv. Due to this shortage, most companies reported increasing the workload of current employees. Some respondents also reported increased operational costs and revenue loss.

v. Companies are proactively addressing this shortage by hiring temporary, contract, or less qualified workers, and expanding local recruitment efforts.

vi. The Study on Skill Shortages in the Textile and Apparel Industry report noted that 14 employers (45.2% of survey respondents) faced difficulties in recruiting line leaders. Employers are looking for line leaders who have experience in sewing to supervise and coordinate the sewing operators at the shop floor.





Occupation: Heavy Truck and Lorry Driver


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 8332-01; 8332-05; 8332-06; 8332-10


Lorry Driver; Truck Driver; Tanker Driver; Driver Operator (Mobile Harbour Crane H11)


2016 No

Evidence:





Top-down data:





Yes


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 17 nominations from 16 companies in 8 different sectors, with the top three sectors being: transportation and storage; wholesale and retail trade; and manufacturing. The job titles nominated reflect mostly the need for lorry drivers, truck drivers, and tanker drivers.


experience. However, there is strong hiring competition from other sectors for this occupation. However, companies reported that this occupation takes only 1 month to fill and it has become less hard-to-fill compared to last year.

iii. Almost all respondents in our Call-for-Evidence survey reported requiring at least a SPM for this

occupation. In addition, respondents reported that applicants need particular requirements to qualify for this occupation such as specific driver’s licenses.

iv. Due to this shortage, almost all companies reported having to increase workload for current

employees. A few have also reported an increase in operational costs due to the difficulty in filling up the vacancies.

v. Consistent with the claim that this occupation requires specific driving licenses such as the Class E

license, most respondents do not report hiring workers without licenses. Instead, the companies have resorted to outsourcing this job function to address the shortage.

vi. Input from the Logistics Environmental Scan reported that there were 156 companies who nominated this occupation as critical.





DOVETAILING REPORTS OF OCCUPATIONS EXCLUDED FROM THE 2017/2018 CRITICAL

OCCUPATIONS LIST

The following occupation reports are based from evidence provided by companies.

However, after further review, these occupations were not included for several reasons:

i. Insufficient/inconclusive evidence

ii. Evidence against shortages

iii. Contradictory evidence

The CSC produces these reports for the following respective reasons:

i. to encourage the participation of companies or industry associations through our survey or consultation sessions.

ii. to ensure a transparent process whereby all evidence is taken into account for consideration.

iii. to recommend companies or industry participation to provide us with additional insights or reasons in order to consider the inclusion of the occupation.

CSC continues to update the Critical Occupations List annually to keep it relevant. Therefore,

we welcome constructive comments and feedback throughout the year.





Occupation: Human Resource Manager


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 1212-01; 1212-02; 1212-03; 1212-04; 1212-05; 1212-06; 1212-10

2015 No

2016 Yes






Evidence:

Top-down data:




4. Working hours growth - 3 year No 10. Share of vacancies posted for more than 6 weeks

No


No

6. Education level decrease - 3 year No





Bottom-up evidence:

This occupation is not included in the COL.

i. This occupation did not pass the top-down shortage threshold.

ii. We received 36 nominations from 34 companies in 15 different sectors. This suggests that demand applies across various industries and is not sector specific. The jobs nominated reflect the need for human resource manager, personnel managers and, talent and organization performance managers.

iii. Companies have reported that jobs within this occupation group do not require extensive work

experience and set of occupational skills. Besides passing only 2 out of 11 top-down indicators, companies have also reported that this occupation is neither more nor less hard-to-fill compared to a year ago and takes only 30 days or less to fill up vacancies.

iv. According to our consultation with Malaysian Institute of Human Resource Management (MIHRM),

employers have expressed that the difficulty lies in finding quality candidates and not in terms of candidate supply. Examples of quality issues include soft skills, knowledge in business strategy, specialisation and skill of leveraging within industries pertaining human resource matters.

v. Despite the high number of nominations, there is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this issue. Consistent with the claim that this occupation requires a particular set of occupational skills such as people management, most respondents have reported increasing workers’ training. Additionally, they have reported raising wages and expanding recruitment effort. The evidence provided has indicated that interventions by industry are sufficient to cater to the hiring issue for this occupation. Therefore, we recommend that:

a. this occupation to not be included in the COL b. the industry to provide us with additional feedback through our annual survey in order to

consider the inclusion of the occupation in the COL.





Occupation: Administrative Manager



2015 Yes

2016 No




Consultation -


Evidence:

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 22 nominations from 21 companies in 10 different sectors for administrative managers.

iii. Respondents have reported to find this occupation to be neither more nor less hard-to-fill compared to a year ago.

iv. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this issue. Consistent with the claim

that this occupation does not require a particular set of technical skills, most respondents have reported hiring less well qualified workers in addition to raising wages and increasing workers’ training. There is also no evidence of education and certification-related barriers to filling these roles. No particular certification is needed to accompany the minimum requirement of a bachelor’s degree for the jobs within this occupation title.

v. The Logistics Environmental Scan have reported that this occupation is essential for a company’s business growth and operations. However, we were not able to gather any additional information regarding the shortage of this occupation to support the nominations received through our Call-for-Evidence survey.

vi. Considering the fact that evidence from top-down and bottom-up do not point to a widespread shortage, we recommend that:

a. this occupation to not be included in the COL b. CSC to review this occupation in greater depth in the next exercise.





Occupation: Aquaculture and Fisheries Production Manager



2015 No

2016 No




Consultation -


Evidence:

Top-down data:




4. Working hours growth - 3 year N/A 10. Share of vacancies posted for more than 6 weeks

Yes


No

6. Education level decrease - 3 year N/A





Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received only 1 nomination from 1 company for fishery production and operation manager. This does not indicate a widespread shortage.

iii. Despite so, according to the input from the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM), the

fishery industry generally faces difficulties to get experienced managers and workers even though there is enough fresh graduate supply in the related field. Further input suggests that graduates are not interested in building their career in this industry because they do not find it as appealing as other industries.

iv. Through our validation with Malaysian Fisheries Society (MFS), the issues faced by the industry

centres around the matter of specialisation; for example, talents who specialises in Biology.

v. Considering the insufficient evidence from top-down and bottom-up, it is impossible to make conclusions as to how critical this occupation is. Therefore, we recommend that:

a. this occupation to not be included in the COL b. the industry to provide us with additional feedback through our annual survey c. the industry to provide us with stronger reasons in order to consider the urgency of inclusion

of the occupation in the COL.





Occupation: Retail and Wholesale Trade Manager

MASCO 2013 (4-Digit Code):1421

MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 1421-03; 1421-01; 1421-02; 1421-15

2015 No

2016 No




Consultation -


Evidence:

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 9 nominations from 9 companies. However, we were not able to gather any substantial evidence regarding the shortage of this occupation to support the inclusion of the occupation in the COL.

iii. Considering the fact that evidence from top-down and bottom up do not point to a widespread

shortage, we recommend that: a. this occupation to not be included in the COL b. the industry to provide us with additional feedback through our annual survey c. the industry to provide us with stronger reasons in order to consider the urgency of inclusion






Occupation: Education Manager


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 1615-01; 1615-03; 1615-04; 1615-05; 1615-06; 1615-07; 1615-08

2015 No

2016 No






Evidence:

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 18 nominations from 10 companies in 2 sectors for education operation managers and principals. However, we have found that the job titles nominated such as principals centred on pre-school education level.

iii. Additional input from the International College of Music (ICOM) have reflected hiring difficulties for

positions such as deans, vice presidents and directors. Given the niche input from ICOM accompanied by no further feedback from other companies, we believe there is a need to further explore the extent of shortages within this occupation through engagements with more companies or associations.

iv. Companies have reported that jobs within this occupation group require extensive work experience

and particular credentials. The lack of relevant job experience, lack of required credentials/ certification in a limited pool of talent are the most-cited reasons behind the occupation being hard-to-fill. Despite so, most companies have revealed that they have not found the occupation to be neither more nor less hard-to-fill compared to a year ago. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this issue. Most respondents have reported to be raising wages and increasing workers’ trainings.

v. Considering that the occupation did not pass the top-down shortage threshold and bottom-up

evidence that do not point to widespread shortages, we recommend that: a. this occupation to not be included in the COL b. the industry to provide us with additional feedback through our annual survey in order to

consider the inclusion of the occupation in the COL. c. the industry to provide us with stronger reasons in order to consider the urgency of inclusion






Occupation: Train/Locomotive Controller



2015 No

2016 No






Evidence:

Top-down data:


2. Employment growth - 3 years N/A

8. Number of vacancies No

3. Working hours growth - 1 year N/A

9. Vacancy rate Yes

4. Working hours growth - 3 year N/A 10. Share of vacancies posted for more

than 6 weeks No

5. Education level decrease - 1 year N/A 11. Number of potential job

applications by jobseekers No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 1 nomination from 1 company for railway and locomotive operation controller.

iii. Consultation with MyHSR Corp indicated that the demand for train/locomotive controllers is expected to pick up in 2026 with the launch of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail service.

iv. Considering that the occupation did not pass the top-down shortage threshold and the fact that

there is no urgent need for the occupation at the time being, we recommend: a. to not include this occupation in the current COL. b. industry players to provide us with additional feedback through our annual survey in order

to consider the inclusion of the occupation in the COL. c. relevant institutions to prepare talent pipeline for future demand.





Occupation: Construction Professional


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2183-02; 2183-03; 2183-04

2015 No

2016 No




Consultation -


Evidence:

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. This occupation passed the top-down shortage threshold.

ii. We have received 5 nominations from 5 companies in 4 different sectors for this occupation.

iii. 67% of the nominations reported taking less than 30 days to fill up vacancies. However, companies reported that this occupation is harder to fill than a year ago. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing the hiring issue. Companies have reported raising wages and increasing current workers’ training.

iv. Considering the insufficient bottom-up evidence against the top-down evidence, we believe that this does not point to a widespread shortage and that it is impossible to make conclusions as to how critical this occupation is. Therefore, we recommend that:

a. this occupation to not be included in the COL. b. the industry to provide us with additional feedback through our annual survey in order to






Occupation: Management and Organisation Analyst


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2421-05; 2421-07; 2421-09

2015 Yes

2016 Yes






Evidence:

Top-down data:




4. Working hours growth - 3 year Yes 10. Share of vacancies posted for more than 6 weeks

No


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 6 nominations from 6 companies in 6 different sectors.

iii. Despite taking about 2-3 months to fill this position, most companies have reported that this occupation has become neither more nor less hard-to-fill compared to a year ago.

iv. Most companies reported that there are none or very few applicants in addition to applicants with

lack of relevant job experience and technical skills. All companies have noted that they are looking for applicants with at least a Bachelor Degree in a variety of fields such as computer science, economics, statistics, mathematics and applied science etc. Most vacancies have also been noted to require more than 4 years of experience.

v. Furthermore, an additional input from Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) reflected that they have experienced having a vacancy open for quite a while. However, the minimum level of education required for this is a master’s degree, and preferably a PhD. We believe this might indicate a gap between employer’s expectations and the applicants’ level of education.

iv. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this issue. Most respondents have

reported to expand local recruitment efforts and hiring less well-qualified applicants. According to the Critical Occupations List (2016/2017), companies have expected for this occupation to be less hard-to-fill in the future due to change of demand. We believe that this is reflected in the bottom-up and consultation evidences we have received this year.

v. Therefore, considering the insufficient bottom-up evidence against the top-down evidence, we

believe that this does not point to a widespread shortage, we recommend that: a. this occupation to not be included in the COL b. the industry to provide us with additional feedback through our annual survey c. the industry to provide us with stronger reasons in order to consider the urgency of

inclusion of the occupation in the COL.





Occupation: Policy Administration Professional


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2422-02; 2422-04

2015 No

2016 No




Consultation -


Evidence:

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 3 nominations from 2 companies. Furthermore, we were not able to gather any additional information regarding the shortage of this occupation to support the few number of nominations received through our Call-for-Evidence survey.

iii. The Logistics Environmental Scan has reported the need for policy administration professionals with a minimum requirement of master’s degree.

iv. Considering the fact that evidence from top-down does not point to a widespread shortage and

insufficient bottom up evidence, we recommend that: a. this occupation to not be included in the COL. b. the industry to provide us with additional feedback through our annual survey in order to

consider the inclusion of the occupation in the COL. c. CSC to review this occupation in greater depth.





Occupation: Personnel and Careers Professional


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2423-03; 2423-05; 2423-09; 2423-15; 2423-17

2015 Yes

2016 No






Evidence:

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. We received 23 nominations from 21 companies in 10 different sectors, with the top three sectors being: Manufacturing, Professional; Scientific and Technical Activities; and Other Service Activities. This could indicate that this issue is not sector specific but applies across various industries. The job titles nominated mostly reflect the need for human resource executives.

ii. Companies report that jobs within this occupation group do not require extensive work experience

and set of technical skills. Respondents have reported that this occupation is neither less nor more hard-to-fill compared to a year ago and takes only 30 days or fewer to fill up vacancies. Despite this, applicants lacking relevant job experience is the most-cited reason behind the occupation being hard-to-fill.

iii. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this issue. Consistent with the claim

that this occupation does not require a particular set of technical skills, most respondents do not report hiring less well qualified workers. Instead, most have reported expanding local recruitment efforts, raising wages and increasing workers training to address the shortage in addition to raising wages.

iv. From our consultation with MARDI, they reported their need for career counsellors with personality expertise. Counsellors are needed to assess new staff hiring and guide them on suitable career paths. 17 companies from the Logistics Environmental Scan also nominated this occupation as essential to a company’s operations and business growth.

v. Therefore, CSC recommends further monitoring for this occupation.





Occupation: Administrative Professional


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2425-15; 2425-16; 2425-17; 2425-18; 2425-19; 2425-20; 2425-21

2015 No

2016 No






Evidence:

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 21 nominations from 20 companies in 9 different sectors for administrative executives and administrative officers.

iii. Some companies have reported that applicants lack the relevant job experience and/or other skills

required to fill this occupation. Most of them require up to 4 years of experience for this occupation. The inability to fill this occupation has resulted in increased workload for existing employees. In response to this, companies have reported raising wages, hiring less well-qualified applicants, and increasing workers’ training.

iv. Some companies also seem to have little difficulty hiring for this occupation. Almost all companies

took fewer than 30 days to fill this occupation. Most have also reported that this occupation is neither more nor less difficult to fill, compared to a year ago.

v. Although there are 23 nominations for this occupation from the Logistics Environmental Scan, we

did not receive additional evidence to support its inclusion from our consultation with industry associations or regulators.

vi. Evidence collected has reflected contradicting points. Therefore, we recommend for: a. this occupation to not be included in the COL. b. CSC to further monitor the trends for demand and supply of this occupation.





Occupation: Web and Multimedia Developer


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 2513-01; 2513-04

2015 No

2016 No




Consultation -


Evidence:

Top-down data:





Yes


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received only received 5 nominations from 5 companies in 4 different sectors for website developers or webmasters. There are only 6 vacancies across all nominations where most of the vacancies require 2 to 4 years of experience.

iii. Companies reported that there are a few applicants for this occupation and applicants lack the technical skills required. Some companies have reported experiencing an increased workload on current employees. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this issue. Companies have reported raising wages and expanding international recruitment efforts. This is supported by evidence through a growth in the number of vacancies and vacancy rate from the top down indicators.

iv. This occupation requires at least bachelor’s degree with main field of studies is in computer science.

Companies also reported specific certification is needed for this occupation (e.g. ASP.NET MVC/Web Forms, C++, JavaScript, Web Services, XML, JSON, HTML/HTML5, CSS3, jQuery and MSSQL/SQLite etc.)

v. From the Malaysian Digital Talent Study 2017, this occupation is not listed as one of the top trending

job titles in the digital industry from the demand side assessment. As overall evidence does not point

towards shortage, we recommend for this occupation to not be included in the COL.





Occupation: Train/Locomotive Technician


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 3153-01; 3153-06; 3153-07; 3153-08

2015 No

2016 No


Top-down indicators Insufficient data




Evidence:

Top-down data:


2. Employment growth - 3 years N/A 8. Number of vacancies N/A

3. Working hours growth - 1 year N/A 9. Vacancy rate N/A


N/A


N/A






Bottom-up evidence:


i. There was insufficient data to compute top-down indicators for this occupation.

ii. We received 4 nominations from 2 companies nominating for job titles such as track network technicians, signalling and communication technicians, rail rolling stocks technicians, and train technicians. The job titles nominated had a total of 119 vacancies.

iii. Companies have reported that the reason this occupation is hard-to-fill is applicants lack the relevant certification and job experience. To mitigate the shortage, companies have resorted to expanding local recruitment effort and increasing workers’ training. The impact felt by companies due to the shortage is that they face difficulty in meeting product or service quality.

iv. Consultation with MyHSR Corp indicated that demand for train/locomotive technicians is expected to pick up in 2026 with the launch of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail service.

v. Considering the insufficient top-down evidence and the inconclusive bottom-up evidence, we recommend:

a. to not include this occupation in the current COL. b. industry players to provide us with additional feedback through our annual survey in order

to consider the inclusion of the occupation in the COL.





Occupation: Accounting Associate Professional


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 3313-11; 3313-06

2015 Yes

2016 No




Consultation 1 nomination


Evidence:

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 4 nominations from 4 companies for the job title account assistants and account supervisors. From our consultation with Malaysia Institute of Accountant (MIA), they have reported that Malaysia is positioning itself as a shared services centre, and therefore there is a strong demand for relatively lower-skilled accounting technicians for handling of specific operational tasks, such as accounting, human resources, payroll, IT, legal, compliance, purchasing, security.

iii. However, considering that the occupation did not pass the top-down indicators and weak bottom-

up evidence from companies, we recommend for this occupation to not be included in the COL.





Occupation: Administrative and Executive Secretary


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 3343-04; 3343-10; 3343-17; 3343-14

2015 No

2016 No




Consultation -


Evidence:

Top-down data:





Yes


No






Bottom-up evidence:


i. This occupation did not pass top-down indicators. We received 6 nominations from 6 companies for job titles such as company secretaries, administrative secretaries and personal assistants. However, almost all companies have reported taking less than 30 days to fill up vacancies for jobs within this occupation.

ii. For companies that have reported having difficulty in hiring, the reason is mainly due to applicants’

lack of relevant job experience. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this issue. Companies have resorted to increasing workers’ training and raising wages to mitigate the shortage.

iii. From the Logistics Environmental Scan, there were also 8 companies that nominated this occupation as critical.

iv. However, we were not able to gather any additional information regarding the shortage of this occupation to support the few number of nominations received through our Call-for-Evidence survey. Therefore, we recommend for this occupation to not be included in the COL.





Occupation: Computer Network and Systems Technician


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 3513-01; 3513-04


2016 No

Evidence:



Consultation -


Top-down data:





Yes


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 3 nominations from 3 companies for computer network technicians and system security and application ICT technicians.

iii. There are only 3 vacancies across all nominations where most of the vacancies require more than 4

years of experience. However, 50% of the nominations take fewer than 30 days to fill up vacancies, and most companies have also reported that this occupation has become less hard-to-fill as compared to a year ago.

iv. Some companies with hiring difficulty due to the lack number of applicants have reported being impacted with increased workload for current employees. Despite so, there is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this issue by raising wages and expanding local recruitment efforts. This is supported by strong evidence through a growth in the number of vacancies and vacancy rate from the top down indicators.

v. This occupation requires at least bachelor’s degree with main field of study in computer science.

vi. We were not able to gather any additional information regarding the shortage of this occupation to support the few number of nominations received through our Call-for-Evidence survey. Therefore, we recommend for this occupation to not be included in the COL.





Occupation: Chef


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 3641-03; 3641-07

2015 No

2016 No






Evidence:

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:

This occupation is not included in COL.


ii. We received 6 nominations from 5 companies in Accommodation and Food service sector. They reported a total of 34 vacancies available with two companies stating that they took more than 150 days to fill up the vacancies. Additionally, 3 companies also felt that this occupation is harder to fill compared to one year ago.

iii. The years of experience required by companies varies, ranging from less than 2 years to more than 4 years. Moreover, companies require applicants to have a minimum of SPM or diploma. Respondents also noted that applicants are required to have cooking skills and are able to work independently. Some respondents have noted that applicants must be willing to work on shifts.

iv. Companies are struggling to find suitable applicants to fill these roles because there were no or

too few applicants generally. They also reported that job applicants lack the required certification and they are expecting compensation that are beyond the market rate.

v. There is evidence that companies are addressing this issue of shortages. Companies have

reported taking steps to increase workers’ training and develop partnerships with education or training providers focused on recruitment. However, none of the respondents have noted raising wages as a strategy to address the issue, giving the possibility that companies are not responding to employees’ expectation.

vi. Due to this shortage, companies reported increased workload on current employees, loss of

business or order, and difficulty in meeting in service objectives.

vii. Further consultation with Penang Chefs Association provided additional context to the issue of shortage in this occupation. It has been noted that local chefs are attracted to work in countries such as Indonesia and China, where those proficient in English and their respective native language (example: Mandarin) are highly sought-after. Given the financial incentive of working abroad (through the stronger foreign currency) in comparison to the low salary offered in the local market, chefs are more willing to work abroad.

viii. While it seems that there are issues of skills which companies have begun to respond to by

providing training, the lack of alignment between applicants and employers on compensation is

expected to continue driving the mismatch between supply and demand of chefs. As such a

mismatch is not within the scope of COL policy intervention for now, we recommend for this

occupation to not be included in the COL.





Occupation: General Office Clerk


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 4111-09; 4111-10; 4111-11


2016 No

Evidence:



Consultation -


Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 102 nominations from 93 companies in 15 different sectors. This could indicate that this issue is not sector specific but applies across various industries. Additionally, the variety of job titles nominated indicates recruitment challenges across the entire occupation group. This occupation is considered skilled and sought-after.

iii. Companies reported that the main reasons why this occupation is hard-to-fill are that job applicants

lack relevant job experience, no or too few applicants generally and that applicants’ compensation are beyond the market rates. While the years of experience tend to be quite low, we interpret experience here as being related to experience having done the specific job tasks that are required. A fair number of companies have also reported that applicants lack the required soft skills (example: time management, teamwork, creativity, problem solving etc.).

iv. It is clear from the number of nominations that this occupation is a priority for companies and

evidence also suggests that the market is responding to this tightness in ways that we would expect. However, while this occupation is nominated by a relatively high number of companies, evidence from companies indicated that this occupation takes an average of 30 days or less to be filled. Most companies have also reported that this occupation is neither more nor less hard-to-fill compared to a year ago.

v. This suggest that the companies are hiring but employers may be needing to relax expectations with respect to qualifications or skill or pay a higher wage to fill these positions. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this issue. Companies have reported that they are raising wages, increasing workers’ training and hiring less qualified applicants. Top-down data suggests that wage premium is increasing.

vi. There is no evidence that there is a gap in specialised skills, but rather more of getting the right

applicants that meet overall expectations of employers. In particular, there seems to be a mismatch of salary expectations. Companies generally require applicants with SPM or Diploma in general business administration. Those that point to skills gaps generally point to soft skills.

vii. This occupation was reported in the logistics Environmental Scan. Considering the weak evidence

from top-down in addition to not passing the strategic criteria, we recommend for this occupation to not be included in the COL.





Occupation: Travel Attendant and Travel Steward


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 5111-07; 5111-08; 5111-10

2015 No

2016 No






Evidence:

Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 9 nominations from 4 companies for stewards and cabin crew.

iii. Almost all vacancies listed are entry-level positions that require less than two years of experience. Most respondents have reported that it takes 30 days or fewer to fill up vacancies and have found this occupation to be less hard-to-fill compared to a year ago. Companies have also reported that the reasons this occupation is hard-to-fill are: candidates lack the experience desired by hiring managers and there is strong competition for talents from other industries. The vacancies for this occupation total up to a number of 732 vacancies, with most vacancies open for cabin crew from one company.

iv. Further input from the Malaysian Oil and Gas Services Council (MOGSC) have suggested that companies hiring ship stewards face barriers related to the additional license that stewards need in order to work off-shore. Most graduates / candidates choose to not proceed for additional training and obtaining the license due to financial factors.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this issue. Respondents have resorted

to various strategies to fill this occupation such as expanding recruitment efforts, both locally and internationally.

vi. Considering the fact that there are only a few number of key players in the airline industry, the top-

down and bottom up evidence suggests that further investigation is needed to determine how critical this occupation is. Therefore, we recommend that:


consider the inclusion of the occupation in the COL c. the industry to provide us with stronger reasons so as to consider the urgency of the inclusion






Occupation: Cook


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 5121-04; 5121-05; 5121-10


2016 No

Evidence:



Consultation -


Top-down data:





Yes


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 6 nominations from 5 companies for cooks, highly concentrated in the accommodation and food service activities sector.

iii. Most respondents have reported that it takes 30 days or less to fill up vacancies. Additionally, most

companies have reported that this occupation is neither more nor less hard-to-fill than a year ago.

iv. Companies reported that there are only a few or close to no applicants for this occupation and most of the applicants do not like the working conditions. Hence, the workload has to be passed on to the current workers. Companies are currently partnering with education and training providers for recruitment while also expanding local recruitment efforts in order to fill the vacancies.

v. Considering the fact that the evidence from top-down and bottom-up do not indicate a widespread

shortage, it is impossible to make conclusions as to how critical this occupation is. Therefore, we recommend that:







Occupation: Contact Centre Salesperson


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 5244-01; 5244-02; 5244-08


2016 No

Evidence:



Consultation -


Top-down data:





Yes


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 3 nominations from 3 companies in 3 different sectors.

iii. Companies have reported that jobs within this occupation group require less than 2 years’ experience. The lack of applicants generally is the most-cited reason behind the occupation being hard-to-fill.

iv. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this issue. Respondents have resorted to various strategies to fill this occupation such as raising wages, expanding local recruitment efforts and increasing workers’ training.

v. Considering that we have insufficient bottom-up evidence against the top-down evidence, we

recommend that: a. this occupation to not be included in the COL. b. the industry to provide us with additional feedback through our annual survey in order to






Occupation: Teachers’ Aide


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 5312-02; 5312-04


2016 No

Evidence:



Consultation -


Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 9 nominations from 5 companies in 2 different sectors. The jobs nominated reflect the need for teacher's aide and kindergarten assistant.

iii. Companies are finding some difficulty in hiring applicants with necessary certification and job

experience to fill these roles. Companies have also reported that there are no or too few applicants generally, applicants did not like the working conditions, and they generally lack relevant soft skills. In terms of years of experience, the majority of respondents are looking for applicants with more than 4 years of experience. Most companies are unsure whether this occupation is harder to fill now than a year ago.

iv. There are certification and education requirements for this occupation. Around half of the positions require applicants with at least a bachelor’s degree. Moreover, the majority of respondents reported that applicants are required to have a certificate, such as: Kursus Asas Pengasuh, or early childhood certificate.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this issue. Most respondents have

reported increasing workers’ training. Additionally, they have reported hiring less well qualified applicants.

vi. Considering that the occupation did not pass the top-down shortage threshold and that we have

insufficient bottom-up evidence, we recommend that: a. this occupation to not be included in the COL. b. the industry to provide us with additional feedback through our annual survey in order to






Occupation: Welder and Flame Cutter


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 7212-03; 7212-08


2016 No

Evidence:





Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 7 nominations from 7 companies in 5 different sectors. This suggests that demand applies across various industries and is not sector specific. The jobs nominated reflect the need for welder and underwater welder.

iii. Companies are finding some difficulty in hiring applicants with necessary certification and job

experience to fill these roles. Companies have also reported that there are no or too few applicants generally, and applicants lack the required certification and technical skills. In terms of years of experience, majority of respondents are looking for applicants with more than 4 years of experience. However, companies have reported that this occupation is neither more nor less hard-to-fill compared to one year ago and takes only 30 days or less to fill up vacancies.

iv. There are professional certification requirements, but no particular education requirements for this occupation. Companies generally accepts SPM and diploma holders. Moreover, the majority of respondents reported that applicants are required to have a certificate, such as: TIG welding certificate or MIG welding certificate.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this issue. Most respondents have

reported increasing workers’ training. Additionally, they have reported outsourcing this job function, hiring less well qualified applicants, and expanding local and international recruitment efforts.

vi. Further consultation with Malaysia Petroleum Resources Corporation (MPRC) also opined that welders are hard to fill in the industry due to various reasons, such as:

a. Malaysian workers aren’t able to compete with workers from China and Vietnam in various aspects: Qualifications, technical skills sets, work experience, resiliency.

b. There is high turnover rate because once they attain their qualification they can take up 3-5 projects at the same time, causing them to move between employers easily

c. Negative perception towards TVET skilled job workers (parents prefer their children to get university degree instead of vocational certification)

vii. However, considering the picture as a whole occupation did not pass the top-down shortage

threshold and that we have weak bottom-up evidence, we recommend that: a. this occupation to not be included in the COL. b. the industry to provide us with additional feedback through our annual survey in order to






Occupation: Sheet Metal Worker




2016 No

Source of evidence:



Consultation -


Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 1 nomination from 1 company for sheet metal worker. Furthermore, we were not able to gather any additional information regarding the shortage of this occupation to support the few number of nominations received through our Call-for-Evidence survey.

iii. Considering that evidence from top-down do not point to widespread shortage and insufficient

evidence from bottom-up, we recommend that: a. this occupation to not be included in the COL b. the industry to provide us with additional feedback through our annual survey in order to






Occupation: Garment Pattern-Maker and Cutter and Other Material Related

MASCO 2013 (4-Digit Code):7622

MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 7622-01, 7622-04


2016 No

Evidence:



Consultation -


Top-down data:





Yes


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We did not receive any nomination from our call-for-evidence survey.

iii. Based on our consultation with Malaysian Textile and Apparel Centre (MATAC), 3 job titles were nominated.

iv. According to the study on skills shortages done by MATAC in 2014, 14 of the surveyed employers

reported that the talent shortage for pattern makers, regardless of their experience level, is facing a very serious shortage.

v. Employers were finding difficulties in recruiting such skilled personnel as no educational or training institutions in the country have specific programmes in this job area. As such, 58% of the participating employers under the study found difficulties in recruiting such workers.

vi. However, we were not able to gather any additional information regarding the shortage of this

occupation to support the few number of nominations received. Considering inconclusive bottom-up evidence despite good top-down, we recommend that:


consider the inclusion of the occupation in the COL. c. further engagements are done with member companies in MATAC.





Occupation: Shoemaker and Related Worker


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code):


2016 No

Evidence:


Bottom-up CfE survey -



Top-down data:





Yes


Yes






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We did not receive any nominations from companies.

iii. However, we managed to consult Malaysian Footwear Manufacturers' Association (MFMA) to obtain some insights:

a. There is a shortage of supply for this occupation, especially among the younger applicant pool.

b. There are no colleges that provide shoemaking training. c. Companies resort to hiring foreign workers to overcome this problem. These workers

normally work for 5 to 10 years before returning to their own country. Companies would then have to go through the process of training new workers all over again.

d. Companies would also like to hire locals, but not many are interested to join footwear manufacturers as they perceive the job to be unattractive.

e. A 10 months’ training for shoemakers is provided by MFMA. The reskilling program is open to diploma and degree holders interested to work in the industry. However, due to budget constraints, this training caters to a maximum of 20 candidates in a year. After completion of training, these candidates will get placement in footwear industry.

f. Additionally, MFMA noted that the industry hires candidates from SPM level (the minimum).

iv. While the occupation passed the top-down shortage threshold and considerable qualitative evidence was received from MFMA, the lack of nominations from the industry did not provide us with sufficient confidence to include the occupation in the COL. We recommend the industry to provide us with additional feedback through our annual survey in order to consider the inclusion of the occupation in the COL.





Occupation: Metal Processing Plant Operator


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 8121-01; 8121-15; 8121-24


2016 No

Evidence:



Consultation -


Top-down data:





Yes


Yes






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. While we received 4 nominations from 2 companies, there is no indication of widespread shortages. Furthermore, we were not able to gather any additional information regarding the shortage of this occupation to support the few number of nominations received through our Call-for-Evidence survey.

iii. Considering that the occupation did not pass the top-down indicators and the insufficient bottom-

up evidence, we recommend for this occupation to not be included in the COL.





Occupation: Plastics Products Machine Operator


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 8142-01; 8142-04; 8142-09; 8142-11


2016 No

Evidence:



Consultation -


Top-down data:





Yes


Yes






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 5 nominations from 4 companies. Furthermore, we were not able to gather any additional information regarding the shortage of this occupation to support the few number of nominations received through our Call-for-Evidence survey. The Environmental Scan for Machinery/ Equipment and Advanced Engineering Sector did indicate a possible shortage for Stationary plant and machine operators, which is the broad category that this occupation falls under. However, there were no specific mention of plastics products machine operator.

iii. Considering that the occupation did not pass the top-down indicators and that we have insufficient

bottom-up evidence, we recommend for this occupation to not be included in the COL.





Occupation: Shoemaking and Related Machine Operator


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): -


2016 No

Evidence:


Bottom-up CfE survey -



Top-down data:





Yes


Yes






Bottom-up evidence:


i. This occupation passed the top-down shortage threshold but we did not receive any nominations from companies.

ii. However, we managed to consult Malaysian Footwear Manufacturers' Association (MFMA) to obtain

some insights: a. There is a shortage of supply for this occupation, especially among the younger applicant

pool. b. There are no colleges that provide shoemaking training. c. Companies resort to hiring foreign workers to overcome this problem. These workers

normally work for 5 to 10 years before returning to their own country. Companies then would have to go through the process of training new workers all over again.

d. Companies would also like to hire locals, but not many are interested to join footwear manufacturers as they perceive the job to be unattractive.

e. A 10 months training for shoemakers is provided by MFMA. The reskilling program is open to diploma and degree holders that are interested to work in the industry. However, due to budget constraint, this training caters to a maximum of 20 candidates in a year a year. After completion of training, these candidates will get placement in footwear industry.

f. Additionally, MFMA noted that the industry hires candidates from SPM level (the minimum).

iii. While the occupation passed the top-down shortage threshold and considerable qualitative evidence was received from MFMA, the lack of nominations from the industry did not provide us with sufficient confidence to include the occupation in the COL. We recommend the industry to provide us with additional feedback through our annual survey in order to consider the inclusion of the occupation in the COL.





Occupation: Steam Engine and Boiler Operator


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): 8182-02; 8182-09


2016 No

Evidence:



Consultation -


Top-down data:





No

5. Education level decrease - 1 year Yes 11. Number of potential job applications by jobseekers

No

6. Education level decrease - 3 year Yes





Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 5 nominations from 4 manufacturing companies for boilerman.

iii. Companies are finding some difficulty in hiring applicants with the necessary certification and job experience to fill these roles. Companies reported that there are no or too few applicants generally and that applicants lack relevant job experience and technical skills. In terms of years of experience, majority of respondents are looking for applicants with 2-4 years of experience. All of the companies agree that this occupation is harder to fill now than a year ago.

iv. There are certification and education requirements for this occupation. More than half of the

positions require applicants with at least a diploma. Moreover, majority of respondents reported that applicants are required to have certificate of Boiler.

v. There is evidence that companies are proactively addressing this issue. Respondents have resorted

to various strategies to fill this occupation: hiring less qualified applicants, expanding local and international recruitment efforts, increasing workers’ training, partnering with training providers and hiring temporary workers.

vi. Considering that the occupation did not pass the top-down shortage threshold and that we have

insufficient bottom-up evidence, it is impossible to make conclusions as to how critical this occupation is. Therefore, we recommend that:

a. this occupation to not be included in the COL. b. the industry to provide us with additional feedback through our annual survey in order to






Occupation: Locomotive Engine Driver




2016 No

Evidence:





Top-down data:





N/A


N/A






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received only one nomination from the industry.

iii. Consultation with MyHSR Corp indicated that demand for high-speed train drivers is expected to pick up in 2026 with the launch of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail service.

iv. Considering that the occupation did not pass the top-down shortage threshold and insufficient

bottom-up evidence, we recommend: a. to not include this occupation in the current COL. b. industry players to provide us with additional feedback through our annual survey in

order to consider the inclusion of the occupation in the COL.





Occupation: Car, Taxi and Van Driver


MASCO 2013 (6-Digit Code): -


2016 No

Evidence:



Consultation -


Top-down data:





No


No






Bottom-up evidence:



ii. We received 6 nominations from 6 companies for the job title driver being stated across all the companies.

iii. Companies reported a total of 26 vacancies, whereby most of them do not require more than 2

years of experience. Additionally, companies consistently reported that they do not require a lengthy duration to fill up the vacancies, suggesting that this occupation is not hard-to-fill.

iv. When asked on the minimum level of qualification needed, all companies have reported that SPM

qualification is sufficient.

v. Considering that the occupation did not pass the top-down shortage threshold and the insufficiency of bottom-up evidence, we recommend to not include this occupation in the current COL.





ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Critical Occupations List(COL) is prepared by the Critical Skills Monitoring Committee

(CSC). The list could not have been produced without the fruitful discussions and feedback

from the following list of stakeholders which includes (but is not limited to): ministries,

agencies, industry associations / regulators, and organisations. The Critical Skills Monitoring

Committee would like to extend its sincere appreciation to these stakeholders for their

unconditional support and collaboration.

No. Ministry/ Agency/ Organisation/ Association/ Regulator

1 Actuarial Society of Malaysia (ASM)

2 Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM)

3 Asian Institute of Finance (AIF)

4 Association of Marine Industries of Malaysia (AMIM)

5 Association of Private Hospital Malaysia (APHM)

6 Australian Department of Industry and Science

7 Bioeconomy Corporation

8 Board of Quantity Surveyors Malaysia (BQSM)

9 Board of Town Planners (LPBM)

10 Department of Manpower (JTM)

11 Department of Skills Development (JPK)

12 Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM)

13 Economic Planning Unit (EPU)

14 Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM)

15 Flinders University Australia

16 Food & Hotel Malaysia Exhibition (FHM) 2017 – organised by Malaysian Exhibition Services Sdn Bhd (MES)

17 Graphic Design Association of Malaysia (wREGA)

18 Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF)

19 Institute of Labour Market Information and Analysis (ILMIA)

20 International College of Music (ICOM)

21 IPSOS Business Consulting (Malaysia)

22 JobsMalaysia

23 Johor Sand & Granite Lorry Operators' Association

24 Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM)

25 Malaysia Engineering Oil & Gas Engineering Council (MOGEC)

26 Malaysia Glass Association (MGA)

27 Malaysia Investment Development Authority (MIDA)

28 Malaysia Mobile Crane Owner's Association (MMCOA)

29 Malaysia Petroleum Resources Corporation (MPRC)

30 Malaysia Retailer Association (MRA)

31 Malaysia Association of Energy Service Companies (MAESCO)

32 Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI)





33 Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS)

34 Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH)

35 Malaysian Association of Medical Assistants (MAMA)

36 Malaysian Association of Wellness & Spa (MAWSPA)

37 Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)

38 Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC)

39 Malaysian Fisheries Society (MFS)

40 Malaysian Footwear Manufacturers' Association (MFMA)

41 Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA)

42 Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM)

43 Malaysian Institute of Chemistry (IKM)

44 Malaysian Institute of Human Resource Management (MIHRM)

45 Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP)

46 Malaysian Medical Association (MMA)

47 Malaysian Oil & Gas Services Council (MOGSC)

48 Malaysian Organisation of Pharmaceutical Industries (MOPI)

49 Malaysian Physiotherapy Association (MPA)

50 Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA)

51 Malaysian Qualifying Agency (MQA)

52 Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB)

53 Malaysian Rubber Products Manufacturers Association (MRPMA)

54 Malaysian Shipowners' Association (MASA)

55 Malaysian Takaful Association (MTA)

56 Malaysian Textile and Apparel Centre (MATAC)

57 Malaysian Woodworking Machinery Association (MWMA)

58 Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry (KPIAT)

59 Ministry of Communication and Multimedia (KKMM)

60 Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA)

61 Ministry of Health (MOH)

62 Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE)

63 Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR)

64 Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI)

65 Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (KPPK)

66 Ministry of Transport (MOT)

67 Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS)

68 Music Authors Copyright Protection Berhad (MACP)

69 National Aerospace Industry Coordinating Office (NAICO)

70 National Association of Early Childhood Care and Education Malaysia (NAECCEM)

71 National ICT Association of Malaysia (PIKOM)

72 Penang Chefs Association (PCA)

73 Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn. Bhd

74 Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU)

75 Public Services Department (JPA)

76 Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM)





77 Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (RISM)

78 Scientific and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM)

79 Security Services Association of Malaysia (PPKKM)

80 Suruhanjaya Tenaga (Energy Commission)

81 The Board of Valuers, Appraiser and Estate Agents Malaysia (LPPEH)

82 The Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM)

83 The Malaysian Insurance Institute (MII)

84 UK Migration Advisory Committee (UKMAC)

85 World Bank Group


critical occupations list 2017/2018 - talentcorp · institute of labour market information and...

Documents