KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is looking forward to embarking on the development of training programmes related to MCMC Technical Codes and the development of structured telecommunication courses.
MCMC chief operating officer Datuk Mohd Ali Hanafiah Mohd Yunus said the move was to enhance the quality and reliability of Information and communications technology (ICT) services in the country.
“Within the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA 1998), there are provisions that we (stakeholders) can develop together in industry technical codes that can be used by the consumers and also industry,” he said at the Capacity Development Conference 2023 (CDC23) here, today.
He also noted that MCMC also fosters collaboration with the Manpower Department (JTM) for the development of industry-driven Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes to be adopted by the Industrial Training Institute for telecommunication-related courses.
Meanwhile, Mohd Ali said issues on skilled and workforce readiness for telecommunication and information and communications technology (ICT) are not limited to Malaysia but many countries also facing potential shortages of skilled workforce which may negatively impact a country’s economic growth and development effort.
Citing International Data Corporation (IDC), he said around 60 to 80 per cent of Asia Pacific organisations find it difficult or extremely difficult to fill vacancies in many Information Technology (IT) roles including security, developers and data professionals.
“About 53 per cent of Asia Pacific organisations are taking three to four months longer compared to a year ago to fill technology roles,” he said.
Touching on MCMC’s initiatives, Mohd Ali said there are 911 Digital Economy Centres (PEDi) accessible to many communities across the country to date, with over 25,000 PEDi entrepreneurs successfully undergoing training and onboarding to the digital economy.
He also noted that close to RM4 million worth of research grants have been distributed under the previous Networked Media Research Collaboration Programme (NMRCP) and current Digital Society Research Grant (DSRG) programme which has generated over 50 completed research projects.
CDC23 is a two-day conference seeking to address, explore, and find solutions for the skill requirements and preparedness of the workforce in the telecommunications and ICT fields.
The conference also allows participants from various agencies such as the government, industry players, private entities and academia to share ideas, gain insights, connect and foster collaboration for capacity development for the telecommunications and ICT industry. -Bernama
