High demand for work requiring “human contact”.

ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is transforming many sectors, but experts say there is still high demand for human-led roles in healthcare and engineering.

Faculty of Health Sciences, Nursing and Education, Mahsa University, Director of the School of Nursing, Prof. Dr Lim Gek Mui, said the demand for nursing and physiotherapy is expected to remain high in the future.

“Nursing has the highest demand in health care and has consistently maintained this status. You will always be able to find a job in nursing.

“The second area of ​​healthcare that is in high demand is physiotherapy. It plays a key role in rehabilitation after surgery or injuries. As our knowledge advances and economic stability advances, the demand for physical therapy will increase,” she said.

She added that many countries have introduced the hospital-at-home concept after the Covid-19 pandemic.

“With the hospital at home, resources and mindsets change. You serve not only patients in hospitals, but also those at home. “In the next decade, health care will be completely different,” she said.

SEGi University and Colleges, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology Dr. King Yeong Jin said that artificial intelligence will replace some engineering jobs, but will also create new ones.

“Artificial intelligence still needs people to design, build, improve and manage it.

“Engineers are developing algorithms and systems that enable artificial intelligence. As long as we need physical products like clothes, chairs and cars, we will still need engineers,” he asserted.

However, he assumed that while five engineers might have been needed to produce a product in the past, modern systems might only need two.

“This is the evolution, but others will continue to be needed to manage AI systems,” he said.

King

Agreeing, Lim said that while artificial intelligence and automation benefit the healthcare industry, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

“Human moderation is still necessary to understand, manage and monitor artificial intelligence.

“When we talk about artificial intelligence, we need to look at the risks around authenticity, privacy and confidentiality,” she said.

Lim also addressed concerns that the future healthcare industry will face human resource challenges even as demand increases.

“Working in healthcare requires a lot of passion, and working hours and shift responsibilities may not suit young people.

“To cope with this, they need to prepare mentally and psychologically, especially in nursing,” she said.

She also noted that the future will bring challenges in interpersonal interactions.

“The younger generation is tech-savvy, but they communicate differently. They will have to take care of our generation, which values ​​human touch. This difference in communication and understanding can be challenging,” she said.

She explained that students can prepare for these challenges by studying behavioral science.

“An understanding of human psychology, sociology and life stages will enable them to interact effectively with patients, including the elderly. Knowing how patients feel will help them provide better psychological care, she said.

King said universities now offer holistic education across multiple disciplines to prepare future engineers.

“The goal is to ensure that graduates can easily adapt. Engineers need to be flexible because change happens quickly,” he said.

King added that demand for engineering positions depends on the direction of the country’s development.

“For example, Malaysia is seeing growth in the energy and automation sectors. Energy includes electrical and mechanical engineering, while artificial intelligence and automation leans towards mechatronic engineering.

“Civil engineering remains essential because infrastructure is needed to support all this development,” he said.

To students considering a career in engineering, King advised: First of all, you must like science and mathematics. You can’t avoid them; this is the basic knowledge you need. If you are passionate about creating new things that benefit humanity, engineering is a good field for you.

To those considering health care, Lim said: “If you enjoy helping others, especially those in need or less fortunate, and it makes you feel satisfied and happy, that’s the most important quality.”

Evaluating healthcare as a career option, Senior Education Advisor at the United Kingdom Education Center (UKEC) Sharifah Aisyah Syed Yahya urged students to specialize as it can give them a competitive advantage.

The health sector, she said, offers a variety of in-demand specialties, such as chiropractic care and speech-language therapy, that go beyond medicine.

She noted that tech moguls like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are driving innovation at the intersection of technology and health care.

“If you are interested in healthcare but don’t necessarily want to be a doctor, you can combine healthcare with technology, for example by working in prosthetics and developing advanced prosthetic devices.

“And if you’re interested in engineering, you might consider niche fields like firefighting or structural engineering,” she said, adding that while many people focus on careers in science, technology, engineering and math, there are equally good prospects in the arts and humanities .

“For example, a career in media is not limited to mass communications or public relations. You can explore fields such as creative writing, journalism and even visual effects for television, all of which offer promising career paths,” she said.

She added that employers are particularly looking for copywriters and content writers specializing in the digital and technical industries because these areas require specialized knowledge that not all authors can provide.

“Additionally, there is also a demand for specialists in the field of linguistics, especially as companies become more and more involved internationally and look for multilingual translators,” she said.

Industry trends

Digital economy, said the Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration at the City University of Malaysia, Prof. doc. Dr. Masri Abdul Lasi, transformed the workforce by emphasizing technical know-how, emphasizing soft skills such as leadership and communication (see infographic).

“Many companies are now prioritizing candidates with specialized knowledge in these areas and effectively recruiting them.” “These organizations offer attractive salaries because such features not only provide employees with the opportunity to contribute to the evolving work landscape, but also enable companies to remain competitive, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

He said digital transformation has left its mark on the top 10 job-producing industries in the country, namely manufacturing and manufacturing; banking; construction; information technology (IT); health care; retail; property; telecommunication; education and electrical and electronics.

“For example, digital transformation has made banking and financial services more accessible and convenient, but the shift to digital platforms has also introduced new challenges, particularly in cybersecurity.

“This has made financial institutions, which handle huge amounts of money and sensitive data, attractive targets for cybercriminals, creating lucrative IT positions such as network security experts, with salaries to match high demand,” he said.

Citing another example, Masri said e-commerce is transforming the retail sector in Malaysia, forcing traditional retailers to adopt digital platforms and strategies.

“Digital marketers, supply chain analysts and customer service managers are critical to ensuring a seamless online shopping experience,” he said, adding that as e-commerce continues to grow, these roles are becoming not only essential but also highly profitable as companies increasingly they are more likely to invest expertise in digital technologies to remain competitive.

Sharul Azwan Hamzah, engagement manager at Management and Science University (MSU), said the economy has undergone significant changes since the pandemic.

“When discussing career options, it is important to remember that some fields have become more important over time.

“For example, when people think about cybersecurity, they often assume that it only matters in the IT sector. This is not true.

“With the increase in cyber threats that affect us every day, cybersecurity has become a broad and important field,” he said, adding that people are shopping online more often compared to the situation before the pandemic, when they preferred to visit physical stores.

“Industries such as logistics, business IT and e-commerce offer promising employment opportunities as these sectors have high employability rates due to the growing demand for digital services, product management and visual content,” he said.

He also said the halal industry is growing and more online shoppers are asking on shopping sites whether companies are halal certified.

The industry, he said, is especially important in Muslim-majority countries like Malaysia.

“MSU’s halal certification program is not an Islamic studies major, but rather a health sciences degree, and many medical or science-related students choose to pursue it due to the high demand for professionals in the halal sector.

“Students seeking this degree should have a research background as their role involves more than just issuing halal certificates; requires extensive laboratory testing,” he said.