INTI International University & Colleges today hosted a panel discussion alongside its industry partners from IBM Corporation, MDEC, and JobStreet to address the employment gaps and opportunities in the age of data analytics.
(From L-R) Ms. Amy Hirst, Director, Power, z Systems, and Storage WW Technical Training, IBM Corporation; Mr. Gopi Ganesalingam, Vice President, Enterprise Development, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC); Mr. Simon Si, Head Regional Communications, JobStreet; and Mr. Timothy Johnson, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Products & Partnerships of INTI International University & Colleges.
The panel included Ms. Amy Hirst, Director, Power, z Systems, and Storage WW Technical Training, IBM Corporation; Mr. Gopi Ganesalingam, Vice President, Enterprise Development, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC); Mr. Simon Si, Head Regional Communications, JobStreet; and Mr. Timothy Johnson, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Products & Partnerships of INTI International University & Colleges.
Malaysia’s rapid expansion of regional IT hubs in recent years has engendered an acute demand for talent in key positions. This is especially pressing considering Malaysia’s goal to raise 2,000 data scientists and 16,000 data professionals by 2020. Currently, there are only 300 data scientists in Malaysia – both local and foreign .
Mr. Gopi Ganesalingam explained, “Developing the digital economy is a journey and there are many moving parts, and talent is definitely a critical enabler for a thriving and robust digital economy. We need to cultivate digital making interests and skillets that are relevant, forward looking and “state-of-the-art”, so as to have our students be competent in the digital economy market place, where some of the highest paying and “newest and the latest” jobs are found in the world.
“Digital Economy sees no boundaries as it’s accessible to just anyone who has an Internet connection, hence producing the right talent is critical. It is with this intention that this year (2017) Computer Science, which is crucial for computational thinking, was introduced to 10,000 public schools, starting from standard 1, Form 1 and Form 4. We also urge private institutions of higher learning to have their technology modules to be aligned with the industry requirements.”
(From L-R) Ms. Amy Hirst, Mr. Simon Si, Mr. Gopi Ganesalingam, and Mr. Timothy Johnson.
Ms. Amy Hirst said, “IBM’s CEO Ginni Rommetty has spoken about the value of ‘New Collar Jobs’ and these are going to be in the IT space. This is because information and data – both structure and unstructured – are the newest commodities professionals need to harness in their enterprises. As a result, developing IT skills is critical for graduates to enter the workforce.”
“To create these new roles, we need to draw a connection between employers and educational institutions. There is a greater need for companies to work with students to show them how skills can be applied in the real world. As an example, the IBM Innovation Centre for Education (ICE) program which INTI has integrated into its business and Computing & IT verticals serve to equip our students with cutting-edge skills that will prepare them to not only bridge the gap in IT expertise but to helm the field,” said Mr. Timothy Johnson.
“One thing many of the trends today show is that industries and consumers are adopting new technologies today faster than ever before. These technological drivers of change have given rise to job creations and it is important that all stakeholders work together to prepare students for jobs of the future. This has also lead to a higher average salary for fresh grads with IT qualifications. When there is a scarcity in supply in a high demand situation, it is natural for us to see better remuneration offered to meet that demand,” concluded Mr. Simon Si.
In line with INTI’s focus in producing and equipping graduates with skillsets for jobs of the future, INTI endeavors to help its students be more employable and increase their employability figures. Launched in 2015 and validated by BDO Governance Advisory, it is made known that 98% of INTI graduates are employed within 6 months upon their graduation. Additionally, 82% of INTI graduates are paid higher than market average and 25% of INTI graduates are offered jobs before they graduate.