Recently, two seemingly contradictory news popped up on our feeds:

The World Economic Forum says Malaysia's Workforce English Proficiency is VERY HIGH

Singapore still ranked higher than us, of course

Employers Say Graduates' Command of English is POOR

So which is it? 

Let's have a closer look at the numbers, shall we?

The World Economic Forum's numbers are from the EF EPI, the 'world's largest ranking of countries by English skills'. It places Malaysia as #12 out of 72 countries worldwide, and #2 of 19 Asian countries (#1 is our dear neighbour lor). Not bad at all, right? For English proficiency in the workforce specifically, have a look at this chart:

 

 

We're right up there with European countries (and the Philippines too). Malaysia boleh! So if our workplace English is so power then why is it employers' biggest headache? Let us remind you with a recent finding from the Bank Negara Malaysia Annual Report 2016:

The answer could simply be this: most new hires - being fresh grads - start out with bad to average English language skills, but as they gain more experience at work their English skills improve over time. So by the time they've moved up to junior executive and executive-level jobs (and are being interviewed for English Proficiency surverys like EF EPI) their English level is probably already above average. So yes, practice does make perfect!

Scale must also be taken into consideration: the highest volume of hiring occurs in entry and junior-level positions, many of which require minimum SPM or Diploma qualifications. So the incidence of a recruiter encountering candidates with low English proficiency is MUCH higher than meeting candidates who are good in English. This can give the impression that MOST graduates or young jobseekers are bad in English, though that may not actually be the case.

If you're unsure what level of English language mastery is considered good, take this quiz to find out: https://www.efset.org/

Here are some other noteworthy findings from the EF EPI:

Women Have Better English Language Skills Than Men

You go, girl!

Logistics and Aviation (yes, pilots) have the Lowest English Proficiency

 

Managers (and even Junior Staff) have Higher English Levels than Executives

This is mainly due to generational differences; a young person is likely to be more exposed to the English language.

Might we also remind you that English, while very important, isn't the only 'hot' language: there is high demand for multilingual talents. You probably already know this (that's why you want to send/ sent your kid to private or SJK(C) schools, right) but:

To get a clearer idea about the state of English proficiency in the job market, come to Ekspo Maukerja 2017 and experience it yourself. There will be thousands of jobseekers, and thousands of job opportunities, with on-the-spot interviews... all in one day!