More than 1000 engineers needed every year

NIBONG TEBAL: Malaysia needs more than 1,000 engineers annually to meet industry demands, said Talent Corporation Malaysia (TalentCorp).

TalentCorp CEO Johan Mahmood Merican said engineers in the electric and electronic (E&E) and oil and gas (O&G) sectors are highly sought after.

"The industry is hungry for engineers," he said after opening the Sector Focus Career Fair 2014 at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) campus here.

A total of 50 corporations, including those from government linked companies (GLCs) and the private sector, were on hand to look for talent during the annual fair.

Mirroring Johan Mahmood's assessment was Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) Industry Talent Management Division director Mohamad Ismail Abu Bakar.

He said there was a need for expertise in E&E, O&G, mechanical engineering and chemical engineering.

"This is based on the type of projects MIDA has approved for investments coming in," he said.

USM vice chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Omar Osman said the university was playing its part to meet demand by cultivating some 600 engineering graduates every year.

"We have graduated about 50,000 engineers since 1986," he added.