Four ministers share the stage to discuss the role of talent and workforce

KUALA LUMPUR - The 2024 National Training Week (NTW) organised by the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) has exceeded expectations, with 375,817 Malaysians registering for 65,115 free training courses and participating in 736 programs facilitated by 1,400 training providers.

Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong announced that this achievement was recorded by the fourth day of the program.

“The Ministry of Human Resources (Kesuma) initially targeted 200,000 participants for 60,000 courses.

“This proves that Malaysians are eager for skills training, and the training we offer has successfully attracted public participation,” he said.

He made these remarks during a discussion session at the Minister's Excellence Pioneers Programme in conjunction with NTW 2024, titled ‘Unlocking Economic Potential: Integrating Human Resource Development with Trade and Education Policies,’ held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) on Thursday.

The programme was also attended by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, and Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, who also served as panellists.

Elaborating further, Steven stated that the National Wage Consultation Technical Committee had completed a review of the 2022 Minimum Wage Order. The last revision by the government was in May 2022, which saw the minimum monthly wage increase from RM1,200 to RM1,500.

During the discussion, Steven, who is also the Bukit Mertajam, Member of Parliament, announced that Kesuma, in collaboration with 12 other ministries involved in the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector, will intensify efforts.

“These efforts aim to produce a workforce with appropriate and sufficient skills to ensure that the national economic policy can be achieved,” said Steven.

Discussing the topic of Economic Potential: Integrating Human Resource Development, Trade Policies, and Education, Steven stressed Kesuma's policies and initiatives to drive economic growth.

This includes strategies to align trade policies with workforce needs through educational institutions to nurture relevant skills and implement skilled professional talent management programs.

Meanwhile, Nancy reported that Malaysia ranks first alongside 27 other countries for gender equality in educational achievement, indirectly indicating the country’s attainment of gender parity in education with a score of 1.00.

“Moreover, female student enrolment consistently exceeds male enrolment at all levels, with the highest disparity at the higher education level.

“In 2023, women comprised 61.2 per cent of the total student population in public educational institutions,” she said.

In the meantime, Tengku Zafrul highlighted that many business owners are considering Malaysia as a trade hub.

Dr Zambry, in his session, discussed the framework titled ‘Shaping the Workforce of Tomorrow: Policies and Higher Education Talent, Future Work Management Strategies.’

In his speech, he emphasised the government's role in collaborating with higher education institutions to prepare for the growing demand for skilled labour.