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The framework allows employers to identify skillsets they value in workers, and is set to benefit more than 900 workers across more than 100 companies.
With the increase in demand for skilled workers in Malaysia's economic sectors, Talent Corporation Malaysia (TalentCorp) and Skills Development Fund Corporation (PTPK) have partnered to upskill and reskill more than 900 workers based on industry needs, through the launch of a joint initiative called the Industry-Driven Talent Acceleration Programme (ID-TAP).
The initiative aims to equip individuals with the knowledge and competencies required by industries such as mechatronics, electrical and electronic engineering, big data analytics, and IT.
Speaking at the launch event on 26 June 2023 (Monday), Minister of Human Resources V. Sivakumar called on employers to take proactive steps towards accelerating their workers' career paths, through cultivating skills needed in the ever-changing workforce.
The Minister cited findings from the World Economic Forum 2020, which states that increasing artificial intelligence (AI) will cause a recession in the job market, with 85mn jobs being replaced by robots by 2025. Presently, AI is already being used to automate tasks in industries including manufacturing, healthcare, and customer service. The report also suggests that to maintain employment within the next two years, 50% of workers need to be retrained. Minister Sivakumar explained that with the ongoing industrial revolution, it is of top priority to develop the national workforce in order to remain relevant.
He added: "Options to increase upskilling and reskilling are important for Malaysians at this point, because by 2030, as many as 4.5mn workers may lose their jobs if we don't take any proactive steps in addressing this issue."
About the ID-TAP framework
Developed based on an industry-needs approach, the ID-TAP framework allows employers to identify skillsets they value in workers.
The first phase, with a fund allocation of RM7.2mn approved by PTPK, is set to benefit more than 900 workers across more than 100 companies in Malaysia, including small-and-medium enterprises. Currently, there are ten state skills development centres (SSDC) that facilitate the training in Selangor, Perak, Penang, Kedah, Pahang, Sarawak, Terengganu, Negeri Sembilan, and Johor.
The initiative comes as part of efforts to strengthen Malaysia's economy, so as to attract more investment into the country. This, in turn, will create job opportunities for Malaysians. Minister Sivakumar also noted that to attract investment, a quality and highly-skilled workforce is essential to be able to compete in the international arena. Thus, investment in education and training is crucial for people to have the skills they need to succeed in the global market.
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