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Industry-driven Future Skills Talent Council launched to address talent challenges in Malaysia

Industry-driven Future Skills Talent Council launched to address talent challenges in Malaysia

TalentCorp’s pilot FSTC is for the Electrical and Electronics (E&E) sector to support the Twelfth Malaysia Plan and the New Industrial Master Plan 2030.

Talent Corporation Malaysia (TalentCorp) has officially introduced its Future Skills Talent Council (FSTC), an an industry-driven approach to skill Malaysian talent for jobs of the future.

Through the FSTC, industry leaders are to play a key role to identity the skills needed for the evolving demands of their respective sectors and drive the necessary training so talents’ skills are upgraded based on current and future needs.

TalentCorp’s role in driving and facilitating the FSTC will be on a public-private partnership basis, where the agency will bring in strategic collaborators such as Malaysia's Department of Skills Development (JPK), Manpower Department (JTM), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and Skills Development Fund Corporation (PTPK).

During the launch event, Deputy Minister of Human Resources YB Datuk Mustapha Sakmud highlighted the importance of a skilled workforce that is resilient, creative, and adaptable to meet future needs.

“The Future Skills Talent Council by TalentCorp will be key in driving solutions for Malaysia’s talent challenges, especially underemployment or talent mismatch. The main drivers will be industry players who are equally invested in having a workforce that is competitive and productive.

"This will especially benefit our Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) workforce and raise wages for talents to enjoy a better standard of living.” 

The announcement, as shared with HRO, cited that countries such as Singapore, India, New Zealand, Australia, and the Philippines are also embracing sector-based skills approaches to bolster their workforce capabilities and cater to the specific needs of different industries. Concurrently, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) supports the formation of sector skills bodies to bring together skill supply and demand.

TalentCorp’s pilot FSTC is for the Electrical and Electronics (E&E) sector to support the Twelfth Malaysia Plan and the New Industrial Master Plan 2030. Subsequently, the agency aims to increase the councils to encompass more sectors; the next FSTC will be for the ICT sector to create a skilled and competent workforce and positively impact the country’s economy.

Thomas Mathew, TalentCorp’s Group CEO, called the initiative timely in line with Malaysia’s aspirations to attain high-income nation status and fulfill the MADANI Economy goals.

“Malaysia has a young talent source that can potentially meet investors’ needs. Through the FSTC, the industry will be able to mould these emerging talents and equip them with skills to drive their businesses,” he said.

“TalentCorp will put in the resources of our other initiatives, such as the Critical Occupations List, the National Skills Registry, mynext, Young Employable Students, and YES! Rock the School, to fully support the various councils that will be established later.

At the launch, TalentCorp formalised collaborations to drive the FSTC with the exchange of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with stakeholders, such as the aforementioned JPK, JTM, NIOSH, PTPK, and the following:

  • Microsoft Malaysia,
  • Selangor Human Resource Development Centre (SHRDC),
  • Penang Skills Development Centre (PSDC),
  • Johor Skills Development Centre,
  • Kedah Industrial Skills & Management Development Centre (KISMEC),
  • Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA),
  • PIKOM, and
  • Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).

The agency also presented FSTC appointment letters to 19 representatives from associations and companies including KISMEC, SHRDC, PSDC, Johor Skills Development Centre, MSIA, PIKOM, MDEC, Jabil Circuit, Flextronics Technology, Microsoft Malaysia, Micron Memory Malaysia, Denso Malaysia, NXP Malaysia, Motorola Solutions, JF Technology, QDOS Interconnect, Daikin Electronic Devices Malaysia, Inari Amertron, and Bosch Rexroth.

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Lead image / TalentCorp 

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