THE Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) has estimated that 300,000 jobs will be created by 2025 especially in the country’s manufacturing sector.
According to MPC director general Datuk Abdul Latif Haji Abu Seman these jobs would be offered under Academy in Factory (AiF) starting from March 2022.
“MPC reinforces the initiatives to strengthen its contribution to Malaysia’s talent development and education attainment performance towards building a future-ready workforce,” said Abdul Latif.
“The focus is to boost productivity growth and meet the current and future market demands, especially from the high impact industries through short- and long-term projects.”
Abdul Latif further said that MPC is currently working with relevant authorities, business associations and industry players to strengthen AiF which is expected to address the mismatch in specific skills and the inadequacy in compensation schemes and wages.
The intervention is projected to build the academic, technical and vocational stream within the country’s education system that is more responsive to labour market demands, he added.
MPC’s efforts are expected to contribute to 12th Malaysia Plan targets that emphasise on the development of strategic and high-impact industries in the next five years, namely in the electrical and electronics (E&E), global services, aerospace, creative, tourism, halal, biomass, and smart farming activities.
Through the strengthening of education which includes improving reskilling and upskilling programmes and building an effective Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ecosystem MPC aims to enhance the production of high value-added products and services, expand international market access and attract quality investments.
According to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) and the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS) findings, only 22.1% of Malaysians have higher education.
MPC’s initiative is expected to contribute to an increase of 52% in education attainment performance by 2026.
In addition to formal education, non-formal education, which includes various programmes offered by industry, training institutions, public and private higher learning institutions, is considered by the UIS in determining a country’s educational achievement.
This will lead MPC to amplify effort for recognition of non-formal education. – March 1, 2022
