Home Legislators Alleviating job search difficulties for recent graduates and accelerating the talent creation process

Alleviating job search difficulties for recent graduates and accelerating the talent creation process

Che Sai WangChe Sai Wang*

“The map drawn in the past may not lead to the future, we must rethink and reposition it”, says the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lei Wai Nong. Since the transfer of sovereignty from Macao to China, there is only one Government of the Macau Special Administrative Region, and the future therefore depends on its innovative approach and attitude.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have received hundreds of requests for help on WeChat, Facebook, WhatsApp and other social networks, from recent college graduates struggling to find a job even after two to three years of searching. Other students signed up for the “Creating Better Job Prospects Internship Plan”, but share that priority is given to graduates with no work experience, forcing part-time workers to resign and re-apply for the Plan. However, even after three months, these young people seem to receive no response, many remain unemployed even after the graduation of this school year’s students.

Several unemployed after finishing their studies end up choosing jobs outside their area, such as food delivery, bubble tea shops, among others. Others report that the Labor Affairs Bureau’s job offer is quite limited, including only dishwasher or security positions, which offer no prospects for developing professional knowledge and skills. There are also jobs that require experience. from two to three years, in a context where these students, without any experience, feel discouraged.

The problem here is not that these recent graduates cannot accept this type of work, but that these talents are needed to lay a solid foundation for Macau’s future development. Professional development is a long-term, continuous and uninterrupted process, with no detours throughout a career. The Macao SAR Government must establish a solid mechanism for job search and talent development, which is why it is also essential that these students define their professional aspirations within a few years of their training. It should also be promoted that companies, based on vacancies and needs that they have, take the initiative to offer new graduates jobs within their professional area of ​​interest.

At the same time, an intensive job search and assistance in this process should ensure that the unemployed population is not ignored after they complete their training and receive their allowance. The Government has a responsibility to continue creating links between these residents and various companies until they find employment.

Only 17,500 people are currently registered with the Talent Development Commission, far from reflecting the reality of Macao. The Commission must therefore take the initiative to gather information on possible talents and enrich the system. In conjunction with the Directorate of Services for Labor Affairs, it may also be possible to divide these talents by levels with professional information from the private and public sector, to mobilize human resources and make the most of them, avoiding a brain drain.

*Association of Public Service Workers of Macao

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