KUALA LUMPUR: Corporate Malaysia’s spending on artificial intelligence (AI) and large-scale reskilling is expected to continue in 2026 amid a tight labour market and persistent skill-related underemployment, said Aisling Consultancy founder and managing director Melissa Norman.
She said the bulk of current demand is being driven by corporates rather than the public sector, as companies respond directly to talent shortages, rising competition for skilled workers and the need to lift productivity.
“We are seeing significant momentum in projects related to AI adoption, workforce analytics and large-scale reskilling programmes. Looking ahead, the pipeline remains robust,“ Melissa told SunBiz.
Malaysia’s unemployment rate held steady at 3% in June 2025, while skill-related underemployment remained elevated at about 35.6% that reflects mismatches between workforce capabilities and employer needs.
Melissa said the data indicate that while jobs are being created, the skills of many Malaysians are not being fully utilised, reinforcing the need for continued investment in talent development.
Looking into 2026, she noted that Aisling sees the strongest opportunities in AI and the digital economy, advanced manufacturing, healthcare and the green energy transition.
These sectors are aligned with Malaysia’s national development priorities under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) and are expected to feature prominently in Budget 2026, she added.
They also mirror Malaysia’s broader economic ambitions and global investment flows. Malaysia ranked 25th in the 2025 IMD World Talent Ranking, with an overall score of 65.18%. However, its investment and development pillar lagged at 49.80%, underscoring the need to strengthen talent infrastructure.
Melissa said Aisling has recorded particularly strong growth in its advisory and transformation services, notably in talent mapping, leadership upskilling, employer branding and organisational restructuring.
“This demand reflects the realities facing Malaysian businesses as they navigate digital disruption, tightening regulations and an increasingly competitive war for skilled tech and data talent.”
Melissa highlighted five workforce and leadership trends expected to have a positive impact on Malaysia’s talent ecosystem. These include accelerating AI and digital integration, as companies increase investments in AI tools and workforce training with a stronger emphasis on continuous learning and human-centric adoption rather than pure automation.
She said new workforce models are reshaping organisational structures, with flexible and hybrid work arrangements requiring managers to lead with greater trust, adaptability and outcome-based performance.
In addition, firms are increasingly linking skills development and reskilling programmes directly to business strategy, with companies that invest in structured training typically recording lower employee attrition rates.
Leadership development is also evolving, with a growing focus on agility, emotional intelligence and cross-functional collaboration. Citing Deloitte’s 2025 Human Capital Trends report, Melissa noted that while 92% of leaders view agility as critical to organisational success, only 28% feel ready to lead in an agile way.
She added that transformative education models are gaining traction, with demand-driven learning and closer collaboration between universities, technical and vocational education and training institutions and the private sector placing greater emphasis on skills certification and work-based learning, in line with the objectives of the 13MP.
Melissa said Aisling is positioning itself for these shifts by embedding digital readiness and leadership agility into its learning and development programmes, while supporting initiatives that bridge the education-to-employment gap and prepare Malaysian professionals for international opportunities.
