KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) is developing a ministry-wide programme to establish a new industry-approved training platform accessible to all society segments.
Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong announced the platform will curate and syndicate the best skills courses from both local and global training providers.
He emphasised that worker education must combine on-the-job learning, practical application, and continuous development.
Sim stressed that training programmes must remain agile and flexible to adapt quickly to fast-paced industry changes.
He declared that Industrial Revolution 4.0 should become a Technical and Vocational Education and Training revolution focused on skills development.
The minister made these remarks during his opening address at the ASEAN Year of Skills 2025 Global Skills Forum in Kuala Lumpur.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi officiated the forum representing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
International Labour Organisation director-general Gilbert F. Houngbo and International Organisation of Employers vice-president Matthias Thorns also attended the event.
Sim highlighted Malaysia’s successful integration of upskilling and reskilling into the labour market through the HRD Corp system.
Employers contribute a one percent payroll levy that funds training and upgrading for their own workers.
He revealed that RM5.77 billion from RM6.17 billion in collected levies has trained approximately four million workers since 2023.
The ministry’s National Training Week initiative provides Malaysians with free access to diverse skills courses annually.
National Training Week participation skyrocketed from 130,000 Malaysians in its first year to nearly four million enrolments in 2025.
This year’s event featured 1,556 training providers offering 73,231 free courses across various disciplines.
Indonesia, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste are now adopting the National Training Week concept to strengthen their workforce development programmes. – Bernama
