MALAYSIA: Graduates to form 33% of workforce by 2010

The Malaysian government plans to increase the number of tertiary-educated people in the workforce from 20% to 33% by 2010, reports The Star. Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the challenge was to ensure that there was no sacrifice in quality. "To merely achieve these numbers would not be too difficult. We have grown our tertiary capacity from only one university in 1961 to 20 public universities, 36 private universities and university colleges, 21 polytechnics, 37 community colleges and 485 private colleges," he pointed out.

Mohamed Khaled added that academics in universities would play a key role in producing quality graduates. "Every university must create an environment that fosters a culture of excellence to attract the most able as well as motivate existing academic staff," he said in his speech at the 12th Malaysian Education Summit, which was delivered by deputy higher education minister Dr Hou Kok Chung.

To build the right culture at universities, the ministry would uplift the profession, provide professional development and training opportunities and celebrate the achievements of academic staff with awards and recognition, he said.
Full report on The Star site