SHAH ALAM: Buoyed by its robust industrial ecosystem and growing appeal to multinational corporations, Malaysia is capable of establishing a solid Ivy League world-class skills training sector, says Steven Sim.
The Human Resources Minister said that with the industrial ecosystem in Malaysia, the nation is one of the earliest in the region to be industrialised, attracting big companies, multi-national corporations and global tech firms.
"I believe we can build a strong and solid Ivy League world-class skills training sector as well," he said during his speech at the launch of the Kia Asia Pacific Training Centre in Glenmarie, Shah Alam, on Thursday (Sept 12).
"We want to partner with multinational corporations. We have some experience in running vocational centres, 60 years to be precise, and a network of 33 industrial training institutions, including facilities in Sabah and Sarawak," Sim added.
The minister highlighted the diverse course offerings at these institutes, which cover areas such as automotive technology, digitalization, computer technology, and even language training.
"Within the ministry, we also have skill courses, what we call power skill courses, focusing on leadership, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving," he said.
With an annual fiscal outlay of RM2.6bil for skills training and human capital development, the government is making a significant investment.
"This year we have announced that we will go all out when it comes to skills training," Sim stated.
The centrepiece of these efforts is the development of a "global training hub" in Malaysia that will train 3,000 workers from across the Asia-Pacific region, in addition to local trainees.
According to the Human Resources Ministry, the focus would be on training talent in ten key areas, including Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Global Business Services (GBS), Aerospace, Food Manufacturing and Services, Wholesale Trade and Retail, Electronics and Precision Engineering, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Medical Devices, Energy, Chemicals and Power, Marine and Offshore industries, and Tourism, Hotel and Accommodation.
Kia Asia Pacific strengthened its presence in Malaysia with the grand opening of the Kia Asia Pacific Training Centre. This marked Kia's fifth global training hub, following those in Germany, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. The expansion in Kuala Lumpur, which serves as the regional headquarters for Kia Asia Pacific, underscored the organization's strong confidence in Malaysia as a key hub in the Asia-Pacific region.
The new centre aims to lead in fostering innovation and exemplary service throughout the Asia Pacific region. It also focuses on enhancing the skills of subsidiaries and distributors' operational staff, sales, and after-sales teams with comprehensive Automotive Training Excellence, equipping them with essential skills and knowledge for the evolving automotive industry.
Kia Asia Pacific president and CEO Kevin Ahn said Malaysia was selected out of 34 markets in the region for its strategic location, allowing the company to meet the evolving needs of the industry while keeping its teams at the forefront of technological advancements.
"Malaysia’s diverse talent pool and strong language proficiency further affirm it as the ideal choice for our training hub,” he added.
