A Compelling Study On The Corresponding Salaries Rates Of Malaysian Polytechnic Graduates Case Study: Politeknik Tuanku Sultanah Bahiyah

Abstract

The Polytechnic is an institution that grants diplomas to graduates. According to the Graduates Tracking System Report 2022, the employment rate for Polytechnic Malaysia is 96.2%, indicating a high demand in the job market. The objective of this study is to identify whether polytechnic graduates work according to their study field and to identify whether the salary is paid according to the appropriate rate. The research methodology used involves a combination of questionnaires and case studies, called the triangulation method. Data had been collected from Politeknik Tuanku Sultanah Bahiyah (PTSB). The indicators used in this study are the minimum wage and Malaysian Skill Diploma Level 4. Hence, the Malaysian Skill Diploma Level 4 is the ideal salary equivalent to the Diploma Polytechnic Malaysia. In 2022, 95.4% of the graduates from PTSB are employed. According to the studies, 53.7% of graduates work in their fields. Approximately 24.8% of Politeknik Tuanku Sultanah Bahiyah graduates earned salaries below the minimum wage. The PTSB graduates received an ideal salary of about 34.8%. The value is not much different from the findings obtained from the 2022 TVET Graduate Tracking Report which is 39.7% get below the minimum wage while the graduates who got the ideal wage is 22.2%.  In conclusion, all graduates should be paid a salary commensurate with their qualifications and according to the established guidelines and should not be paid below the minimum wage level.