PREPARING future generations to meet the demands of tomorrow’s industries is vital for national development, says Deputy Chief Minister II Jagdeep Singh Deo.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the northern region National Training Week (NTW) 2025 at Raia Inn in Bayan Lepas today, he emphasised the urgency of upskilling Malaysia’s workforce, especially in line with the country’s ambitions in the semiconductor sector.
“To achieve the semiconductor industry’s goal, Malaysia aims to nurture 60,000 skilled workers by 2030, according to the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS).
“There is not much time left, and we must act now to prepare our workforce. That is why we are putting much emphasis on education and skills training,” Jagdeep said.
Jagdeep was joined by Human Resources Minister Steven Sim, who addressed the crowd and later spoke to the press.
The northern region NTW 2025 Learning Tour is organised by the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) in collaboration with the Penang Infrastructure Corporation Sdn Bhd (PICSB).
Sim shared several government initiatives aimed at supporting local industry and communities through targeted training and skill development.
Among them is the Advanced Technology Meister Programme, a collaboration between the HRD Corp and Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA), which includes a Matching Grant.
“This grant is designed to help local industries upskill their workers in advanced technology fields.
“Apart from that, about 420 families of fishermen affected by the Silicon Island project will receive training in communication, entrepreneurship, digitalisation, and AI to help them explore better job opportunities,” he said.
Sim revealed that his ministry is in discussions to finalise a partnership with the state government to further strengthen the Penang Chip Design Academy.
“The Penang Chip Design Academy will play a vital role in developing Penang’s semiconductor and high-technology sectors. The institution will focus on training our skilled workforce and strengthening human capital.
“It is a state government project which was already announced by the Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
“What we want to do is to add value to this initiative by working together with the state government,” he added.
Sim also highlighted that the World Economic Forum has recognised Penang as a key hub in the global semiconductor industry in 2024.
“This recognition brings new challenges, especially for companies in the Free Trade Zone as we will need 60,000 skilled workers to meet growing industry demands.
“The ministry and the state government are going all out to upskill, reskill, and cross-skill the workforce to meet these demands and prepare for future challenges,” he added.
Sim also shared that a One-Stop Labour Service Centre has been set up on the mainland to offer all ministry-related services, including training programmes for workers
The one-day programme brought together over 600 people from different groups, including school students, civil servants, the B40 community, people with disabilities, cooperatives, and senior citizens.
Sim said NTW 2025 has made great progress, with over 3.2 million enrolments, surpassing the target of 1 million. He added that more than 72,000 courses have been offered so far under the theme ‘Learning Beyond Borders’.
The northern region alone has recorded over 167,000 enrolments with almost 800 courses across Penang, Kedah, and Perlis.
Courses on offer include Robotic Coding, AI Basics, Cybersecurity, Emergency First Aid (AED), Mental Health Awareness, Cooperative Law for entrepreneurs, and creative skills workshops for the people with disabilities like pottery and makeup.
NTW 2025 will conclude on 21 June with a closing ceremony in Ipoh, Perak. However, courses will remain online throughout the year, allowing Malaysians to continue learning via the NTW website.
Story by Tanushalini Moroter
Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud