Organised through the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp), the forum was officiated by human resources minister Steven Sim, who was joined by ministry secretary-general Azman Yusof, ILO chief of skills and employability Srinivas B Reddy, HRD Corp chairman Abu Huraira Abu Yazid, and HRD Corp CEO Shahul Dawood.
Speaking at ASF, Sim said it was imperative that Malaysia work with its Asean counterparts to attract, nurture and sustain a steady stream of highly skilled, dynamic and diverse talent.
“Since the mid-20th century, Malaysia has received investments from top high-tech industries from all around the world, beginning with the ‘Eight Samurais in Penang’ – Intel Corporation, Hewlett-Packard, Robert Bosch, AMD, Litronix, Hitachi, Clarion and National Semiconductor.
“Today, Malaysia is hosting global tech players such as Nvidia, Micron, Infineon, Geely, Rongsheng, Microsoft, Google, Bytedance, AWS and more with more than RM30 billion in investments,” he said.
The forum this year sees 200 delegates from 16 countries, including the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Brunei, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, India and Austria.
The forum focussed on discussions about harmonising skills development strategies across the region as Malaysia prepares to assume the Asean chairmanship in 2025. It has also proposed that next year be designated as the Asean Year of Skills (Ayos), expected to kick off in January.
In a statement, the ministry said it will spearhead Ayos through HRD Corp, aiming to drive numerous skills development programmes and activities throughout the region for the year.
Shahul said that with a population of over 690 million and total labour force of 340 million, Asean holds a strategic position in the global labour market and its workforce has the potential to drive regional and global economic growth.
“Therefore, it is imperative that Asean member nations address the key challenges affecting the region’s labour market, including formalising the informal sector, youth unemployment, gender inequality, the brain drain, social protection and skills development,” he said.
Shahul said Ayos aims to address these challenges by supporting sustainable growth and competitiveness, bridging skills gaps and ensuring that the Asean workforce meets industry needs.
“This will be achieved through focussed training programmes and continuous upskilling, preparing individuals for new job opportunities.
“Additionally, Ayos will facilitate regional talent exchange, allowing skilled professionals to move across Asean nations, helping to share knowledge and address local skill shortages while boosting collaboration and innovation,” said the ministry.
At the forum, Sim also announced key enhancements to the HRD Corp Allowable Cost Matrix, a guide for registered employers and training providers on the allowed claimable cost, maximum claims and claim eligibility for different types of training programmes through the human resource development levy.
The enhancements include allowing for course fees to be claimable based on hourly rates instead of the previous half-day or full-day rates, which will enable employers to take advantage of shorter training programmes, such as professional development courses and flexible micro-credential courses.
HRD Corp will also raise the ceiling for course fees to up to RM1,500 per hour or RM10,500 per day, from the previous RM6,000 per day, to enable employers to provide more high-quality and high-value training programmes for their employees.