Methodological Competency Gaps among Robotic Engineering Technology Graduates in Malaysia’s Automotive Manufacturing Industry

The Malaysian Critical Occupations List 2019/2020 published by Talent Corporation Malaysia identifies industrial and production engineers including robotics engineers and technologists as hard to fill occupations within the manufacturing sector. Although the report attributes this challenge to limited experience and inadequate technical skills the deeper causes of these workforce gaps remain insufficiently examined within the industry context. This study aims to empirically validate and contextualize the findings by investigating methodological competency issues among robotics engineering technology graduates employed in Malaysia’s automotive manufacturing industry. A qualitative research design was adopted utilizing semi structured interviews with five industry experts representing three major automotive manufacturing companies. Data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify patterns and insights related to graduates workplace performance and skill readiness. The analysis revealed nine recurring methodological competency issues which include weak problem solving ability, lack of critical thinking, unsystematic task execution, limited project management competency, difficulty in applying theoretical concepts, low technical proficiency, overdependence on supervision, weak mental resilience, and insufficient real world industrial exposure. Overall the findings indicate that the hard to fill status of robotic engineering technologist positions is driven largely by methodological competency gaps particularly in systematic problem solving, critical judgment, and structured task execution alongside foundational technical and workplace adaptation challenges.