KUALA LUMPUR: It is crucial for Putrajaya and industry players to cooperate to increase learning and development opportunities for Malaysians, says Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
His Majesty said the local workforce helped Malaysia persevere during periods of economic uncertainty and also aided 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,” said Al-Sultan Abdullah.
“For Malaysia to remain strong and competitive, our workforce and talent must be encouraged and make lifelong learning and continuous personal development a priority,” His Majesty added.
Al-Sultan Abdullah said that after two challenging years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysia is finally enjoying economic stability backed by a growing labour participation rate of 70.1% as of July this year.
His Majesty was speaking during the opening ceremony of the National Human Capital Conference and Exhibition (NHCCE) 2023 on Monday (Oct 30) morning.
To ensure continued growth and recovery momentum, Al-Sultan Abdullah 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,” said His Majesty.
He noted that the ministry had introduced various initiatives to provide upskilling, job placement and income generation opportunities for those in need, such as single mothers, former prisoners, senior citizens and people with disabilities.
“These are good efforts to ensure that 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,” said His Majesty.
Meanwhile, Al-Sultan Abdullah said platforms such as the NHCCE 2023 are a great avenue for human resource practitioners, business leaders and subject matter experts to gather and discuss challenges and realities in the current socio-economic climate.
“At the same time, it is also a great platform to listen to industry players and leaders on how to apply global best practices to our respective countries, industries and organisations.
“I hope you will be able to take full advantage of these discussions and activities in the next two days to prepare yourself to pioneer growth and inspire change in your human capital development strategies,” added His Majesty.
NHCCE 2023 is taking place at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MiTEC) on Monday and Tuesday (Oct 31).
