KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has reaffirmed its strong commitment to developing a world-class skills training sector by expanding its annual National Training Week (NTW) beyond national borders for the first time, aiming to benefit at least 5 million citizens across ASEAN, with an estimated value of almost USD600 million (RM2.5 billion).
Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said the June 14-21 NTW will offer 65,000 free skills development courses covering areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), digitalisation, green tech and leadership.
He said the training will feature participation from top global training entities such as Microsoft, Udemy, Awantech and Alibaba Cloud, including Malaysian training providers.
“For the first time, we will be expanding these high-quality training opportunities beyond our borders to our friends all over ASEAN. Throughout the one week, we aim to provide exposure to these high-quality skills training courses to at least 5 million people, citizens of ASEAN.
“This is Malaysia’s investment in ASEAN. It is an investment for human capital development. Again, our ambition is to make ASEAN the most skilled region in the world through deeper and more meaningful partnership with our fellow member states,” he said in his opening address at the ASEAN Human Capital Development Investment Symposium (AHCDIS) here today.
Also present was Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) chairman Datuk Abu Huraira Abu Yazid.
Sim added that the two-day symposium, which began at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) today, is the first of four major events under the ASEAN Year of Skills (AYOS) 2025 banner.
It will be followed by the ASEAN Training Market Conference in July, the ASEAN TVET Conference in August, the Global Skills Forum and also an ASEAN Labour Ministerial Meet Forum in October.
“I hope participants will use this platforms to strengthen our human capital development sector network across the region, growing together, developing together to make ASEAN the most skilled region in the world, attracting talents, investments, innovations as well as growth and prosperity into our neighbourhood,” he said.
Introduced in May 2023, NTW is a full week of nationwide training events and activities that bring together organisations and individuals from various backgrounds and industries to experience a multitude of learning and development opportunities.
