KUALA LUMPUR: Cooperation between the government and industry players is crucial for increasing opportunities in learning and development for the Malaysian workforce, says Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

This is because the local workforce helps Malaysia to persevere during periods of economic uncertainty and also aids the country to progress during times of economic prosperity.

“Therefore, it is imperative for the government and industry players to work together to expand learning and development opportunities for our people.

“For Malaysia to remain strong and competitive in future, our workforce and talent must be encouraged and make lifelong learning and continuous personal development a priority,” His Majesty said at the opening ceremony of the National Human Capital Conference and Exhibition (NHCCE) 2023 yesterday.

Sultan Abdullah said Malaysia is finally enjoying economic stability that is backed by a growing labour participation rate of 70.1% as of July this year, following two challenging years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

To ensure continued growth and recovery momentum, he said Malaysia must continue investing in the local talent and workforce.

“This is why efforts by the Human Resources Ministry and the Human Resources Development Corporation (HRD Corp) are crucial in helping us achieve this by having the right policies and ensuring the delivery of mechanisms for training and training funds,” he added.

His Majesty said the ministry had introduced various initiatives to provide up-skilling, job placement and income generation opportunities to those in need, such as single mothers, former prisoners, senior citizens and people with disabilities.

“These are good efforts to ensure no one is left behind and we can grow together as a nation. 

“With these initiatives put forward by the ministry and the collective efforts of industry players, I’m confident that we can achieve the goal of 35% skilled workforce by 2030,” he added.

Sultan Abdullah said the NHCCE 2023 is a great avenue for human resources practitioners, business leaders and experts to gather and discuss challenges and realities in the current socio economic climate.

Human Resources Minister V Sivakumar, in his opening speech, said the low unemployment rate of 3.5% in the first quarter of this year reflects recovery in the economy that was marred by uncertainties in the previous years.

Citing figures from the Statistics Department (DOSM), he said the unemployment rate was at a high of 4.1% during the same period last year.

Sivakumar said the NHCCE 2023 is a prime example of how public and private sectors are cooperating to uplift the quality of the local human resources development scene.

Themed “Pioneering Growth, Inspiring Change”, the NHCCE aims to help organisations and human resources practitioners stay ahead of shifting demands in the modern workplace.

During the NHCCE 2023 opening ceremony, HRD Corp signed MOUs with the International Labour Organisation and Skills Development Fund Cambodia, which focuses on collaboration and cooperation to promote access and participation in the lifelong learning of vulnerable groups and enhance the quality and relevance of training by employers.

HRD Corp also exchanged a Letter of Collaboration with the World Bank on knowledge sharing of best practices relating to training, skills development and human capital accumulation in Malaysia.

It also signed a service agreement with Johns Hopkins University to bring in more high quality training into Malaysia through signature programmes.

An MOU exchange ceremony was held between HRD Corp with Harvard Business Publishing, Udemy, CoachHub, the Global Impact Network Malaysia & Brunei Trust, Mentri Besar Selangor Incorporated, Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak, Human Resource Standards Institute, Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit, University of Cyberjaya and Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation.

The two-day conference held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MiTEC) ends today.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/10/31/grow-human-capital-together