The Human Resource Ministry has spent a whopping RM82 million on a graduate retraining programme to sharpen the skills of unemployed graduates.

A total of RM100 million have been allocated for the six-month programme, while some 14,000 are presently undergoing their retraining stint, said Human Resource Minister Fong Chan Onn.

He said that the programme would upgrade the language competency, interpersonal and computer skills of the unemployed graduates to better equipped them for the employment market.

"There is no reasons for graduates not being employed, they are lots more jobs available in the country. What is causing the problem is the mismatch between the qualifications and the expectations of the employees," he said.

Fong was speaking at a press conference in Puchong, Selangor after visiting the new British American Tobacco training centre yesterday.

The minister believed that the bulk of job opportunities lies with the service sectors and with proper attitudes, they would be able to perform well.

Maternity leave

Asked to respond to an announcement on June 2 by the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that the public sector would be absorbing unemployed graduates, Fong said that plenty of such vacancies are still available.

"He (Abdullah) expects the Public Service Department and all human resource department of the other government agencies to look seriously into filling up their vacancies as soon as possible (with unemployed graduates)," said Fong.

Asked if he thinks the private sector should also grant women 60 days maternity leave based on a recent proposal for the public sector to do so, the minister said that matters were different in the private sector.

"I support (extending the proposal to the private sector). But we must accept the reality of the private sector," he said.

He explained that sometimes, employers grant 60 days maternity leave as an incentive to retain staff, but not all employers can do the same.