EMPLOYABILITY TREND OF AVIATION GRADUATES IN MALAYSIA: PRE- AND POST-COVID-19

Abstract

At the pinnacle of the COVID-19 pandemic, aviation graduates faced substantial setbacks as numerous aviation companies were compelled to downsize their workforce due to heightened financial pressures. Notably, graduates from the class of 2020 encountered the need to pivot towards alternative fields, whether related to engineering or not, in their pursuit of employment. During this period, the efficacy of Universiti Kuala Lumpur – Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology (UniKL MIAT) as a teaching factory initiatives was scrutinized, which was aimed to assess their practicality in mitigating the employment crisis amid the pandemic’s turmoil. Nevertheless, a noticeable shift has emerged in the trajectory of aviation graduate employment as the years progressed beyond 2020. By 2021 and 2022, the sector has displayed encouraging signs of recovery. The year 2022 has witnessed significant upsurge in number of graduates successfully securing positions within the aviation industry. This phenomenon suggests two important aspects. Firstly, aviation companies are evidently ramping up their recruitment efforts to address the workforce gaps created by the measures taken to downsize during the pandemic. Secondly, the furloughed staff appears to be reluctant to rejoin the workforce, thereby creating avenue for young talents to commence their careers within the aviation sector.