MYFUTUREJOBS: How it Started

MYFutureJobs is the primary reference and a one-stop centre for employment services and training in Malaysia. In addition to job matching and recruitment support, the portal provides upskilling and reskilling training programmes through 495 registered training providers in 6,662 courses across 42 fields. Covering job placement functions, career counselling, mobility assistance and social security protection for individuals facing job losses, training and active labour market, the MYFutureJobs offers comprehensive employment solutions that are critical for the adjustment of the labour market; consequently, cushioning the impact of current economic transitions.

How it began

This portal started as an initiative known as the EISJobsPortal under the Malaysian Social Security Organisation’s (SOCSO) Return-To- Work (RTW) programme in 2007. As part of SOCSO’s social security protection for workers, the RTW Programme emphasises enabling the Insured Persons with disabilities to securely return to work. The programme, which combines both the rehabilitation programme and employment services, assists Insured Persons through an integrated approach known as the case management system, involving the function of case managers. Consequently, in 2018, the Government of Malaysia entrusted SOCSO through the Ministry of Human Resources to execute a new directive in protecting workers experiencing loss of employment.

Under the Employment Insurance System (EIS), SOCSO provides financial assistance for replacing income loss, employment services including job search and upskilling/ reskilling training for the workers. In doing so, SOCSO’s Employment Services Officers (ESO) proactively engages with employers to organise open interviews and career fairs for retrenched workers seeking employment while simultaneously helping employers as EIS contributors to find suitable candidates.

Notably, more job seekers apart from the EIS Insured Person turn to SOCSO for employment and recruitment support, resulting in the development of an online job portal, formerly known as the EISJobs Portal.

To leverage job matching accuracy and fulfil growing demands for employment services, the online portal rebranded to MYFutureJobs and was soon declared as the National Employment Portal under the PENJANA in 2020 as SOCSO evolved into the National Employment Services Provider.

How can businesses benefit

In addition to being an online platform for job search and matching, MYFutureJobs bridges the supply demand gap between job seekers and employers on a single platform. Featuring Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Skill-Based Matching technologies, the MYFutureJobs matching process involves skillbased profiling, which is locally contextualised from the European Classification of Occupations (ESCO) taxonomy.

The skill profiling establishes crucial connections between the vital requirement of a job, role, position and the comprehension and proficiency required for successful performance in an employee.

Furthermore, as skills are fundamental in recruiting, the portal also demonstrates skill gap analysis on candidates and the posted vacancies, enabling better matching of relevant candidates for businesses and identifying training needs.

PenjanaKerjaya 3.0 provides maximum incentives of RM6,000 when employers hire unem ployed job seekers from vulnerable groups including disabled individuals

Integrated with the portal is the case management system. This system provides a human touch experience and one-toone recruitment support for employers. Upon registering on the portal, a SOCSO Account Manager will be assigned to the respective business to provide dedicated assistance in attaining their recruitment goals. These SOCSO Account Managers manage and retain employer partnerships, and subsequently, support recruitment initiatives for the employer. Their services include filtering suitable candidates for businesses and arranging systematic interview sessions to attract local candidates at nationwide locations.

SOCSO also manages talent pools under its existing schemes, including the EIS, RTW Programme and the registered job seekers from the MYFutureJobs portal, offering a ready pool of potential candidates for businesses to tap on, including other deliverable recruitment services, free of charge.

What’s next for SOCSO?

As part of SOCSO’s transformation into becoming a Public Employment Services provider, the organisation has recently embarked on various programmes and active labour market initiatives to support the employment of Malaysian job seekers.

The programmes include organising Career Labs for graduates, delivering employment services to EIS beneficiaries and hosting regular open interviews featuring employers across all sectors, which are carried out at its 54 branches nationwide. This year to date, open interviews were organised both physically and virtually, providing employment to 4,561 job seekers. This figure gives a total number of 184,804 successful placements by MYFutureJobs Employment Services which include placements via the MYFutureJobs online portal and PenjanaKerjaya hiring incentives.

As Malaysia moves towards recovery following the COVID 19 pandemic, SOCSO introduced the ‘PenjanaKerjaya’ or the Hiring Incentives and Training Programme to generate job demands from employers. The initiative, which aims to increase job opportunities for local Malaysians, commenced under the PENJANA economic in 2020 and is entering its 3rd phase, presently known as the PenjanaKerjaya 3.0.

PenjanaKerjaya 3.0 provides employers with financial incentives within a maximum of RM6,000 (USD 1,443) and maximum training allocation up to RM7,000 (USD 1,685) for hiring an unemployed job seekers through the MYFutureJobs portal. Hiring on MYFutureJobs is anticipated to give new hopes to local job seekers from all walks of life, including youths, existing workers seeking career enhancements and unemployed jobseekers from vulnerable groups, disabled persons, senior citizens, prolonged unemployed, and underprivileged job seekers. In addressing youth unemployment, employers hiring graduates or school leavers as apprentices can claim up to RM4,800 (USD 1,154) from the PenjanaKerjaya programme. Additionally, due to the existing closure ofe borders, a maximum incentive of RM4,000 (USD 963) is provided for businesses to hire local employees to replace foreign workers. Employers are conditioned encouraged to post their vacancies on the National Employment Portal, https://www.myfuturejobs.gov.my/ and apply for the Hiring Incentives upon successful placements through this single platform.

Source: MIDA e-Newsletter August 2021