PETALING JAYA: Underscoring its commitment towards strengthening Malaysia’s digital competitiveness in collaboration with the government, Google today announced two initiatives to equip youth with future-ready skills focused on artificial intelligence (AI), and enhance public service delivery with the help of cloud-native, AI-driven productivity tools.
The first initiative involves Google and the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) working together to upskill youth from diverse backgrounds by providing 161 institutes of higher learning with 500 Google Career Certificate scholarships each. The second initiative involves equipping 445,000 public officers with Google Workspace tools to boost productivity across the public sector in collaboration with National Digital Department, the government agency in charge of coordinating and implementing national and public sector digitalisation projects under the Ministry of Digital.
In a statement, Google global head of government affairs and public policy Karan Bhatia said: “This is a significant step towards creating inclusive growth opportunities for more Malaysians and strengthening the country’s digital advancement – goals that were central to the strategic collaboration we signed with the government of Malaysia late last year.
“As governments around the world consider how they can make the most of the AI opportunity, Malaysia is embracing technology as a key driver of national competitiveness and spearheading secure and responsible AI adoption in the public sector. These initiatives have the potential to transform the way services are delivered for the benefit of all Malaysians, while working to equip people with the digital skills they need.”
Google will partner with MoHE to provide 161 public universities, polytechnics, and community colleges in Malaysia with up to 500 Google Career Certificate scholarships each until the end of this year. Designed by Google experts, the nine Google Career Certificates span fields such as cybersecurity, data analytics and IT support. They can be completed within three to six months through flexible, self-paced online training, with no prior experience required.
This strategic initiative with MoHE marks a significant expansion of Gemilang, the digital training programme launched by Google in 2022 to help more Malaysians acquire digital skills - at no cost – for jobs in high-demand technology fields. Since its launch, Gemilang has provided 31,000 Google Career Certificate scholarships to benefit individuals in Malaysia, with 80% of certificate graduates reporting a positive career outcome, such as a new job, promotion, or salary raise within six months of completion.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir said: “Our collaboration with Google will equip Malaysian students of all backgrounds with essential skills to participate in and contribute meaningfully to our digital economy. In-demand skills in cloud computing, data analytics, cybersecurity, and AI, which can be acquired at no cost through the certificate programmes offered by Google, will lead to stronger job readiness and a rise in income. This will also translate to higher job satisfaction for workers and a larger digital talent pool for Malaysia.
“We appreciate Google’s investments in Gemilang and Google Cloud Skills Boost, and look forward to collaborating on more initiatives to support our workforce.”
Meanwhile, Digital Ministry secretary-general Datuk Rodzi Md Saad said: “Strong interagency coordination is crucial for delivering responsive, high-quality public services that improve the lives of Malaysians. In line with the Madani Economy Framework, our whole-of-government adoption of Google Workspace’s secure, cloud-based, and AI-powered capabilities will foster seamless real-time information exchange, enabling government agencies to work closer together towards optimal and effective public service delivery.”
