Malaysia to equip workers with more digital skills

Malaysia is set to enhance its hiring and training incentive programme to accelerate the reskilling and placement of unemployed workers in roles in the digital technology space.

Through the programme, called MyDigitalWorkforce Work in Tech (MYWiT), it aims to incentivise employers to hire those who are unemployed through training and salary subsidies, the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) said in a statement.

“The discrepancy between the skills that are sought by employers and existing skill sets possessed by the local workforce is an important issue that should be addressed if we want to be at the forefront of the digital economy,” said Mahadhir Aziz, CEO of MDEC.

“The effort must address talent and skills mismatch, as the incentive emphasises on developing talents through reskilling and upskilling programmes,” Aziz added.

The programme targets businesses that are offering digital tech and services roles, in line with the government’s goal of creating 500,000 new jobs for its citizens by 2025.

The incentive covers 40% of the employee’s monthly salary for six months, with a minimum salary of RM2,000 (US$482), and is capped at RM2,600 (US$627) per individual per month.

For each person trained and employed, businesses can receive incentives worth up to RM23,600 (US$5,687).