48% highly-skilled workers by 2020

PETALING JAYA, Sept 12 (Bernama) -- The government targets to achieve at least 48% highly-skilled workers by 2020, in line with the country's aspiration of achieving high-income nation status.

Human Resource Minister Datuk S Subramaniam said Malaysia's workforce was still relatively low-skilled with 80% of them educated up to only the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) level or equivalent in 2007.

"And today, only 25% of Malaysian jobs are considered skilled. This is much below that of Singapore at 49%, Taiwan at 33% and South Korea at 36%," he said in launching the Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Bhd (PSMB) 2011 Conference and Exhibition at the Sunway Convention Centre, here, today.

The text of his speech was read out by his deputy, Datuk Maznah Mazlan.

Considering the current situation, Dr Subramaniam said PSMB was now re-evaluating its Apprenticeship Scheme with the target of making the apprentices taking up the programme, completing with the Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM) Level Three from next year onwards.

Talking to reporters, Maznah explained that SKM, which had five levels, was among the guidelines used by the ministry to measure a skilled worker.

She mentioned that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had announced that the SKM Level Four would be mainstreamed as par the qualification at the local universities.

"Strengthening of the programme is an on-going process so that the standards can meet the conditions set. Now, if the training providers cannot offer the course, we have twinning programmes with the local universities to offer the SKM so that the apprentices can qualify up to Level Four and Five," she said.

Maznah also called on companies registered under PSMB, which had not been active in using the Human Resource Development Fund to hold training courses for their staff, to do so immediately.

"We have 12,719 companies registered with PSMB. Each year, they contribute one per cent of their total staff salary payment to PSMB, which is compulsory under the PSMB Act, for the purpose of staff training.

"However, 12% of the companies have not been using the fund," she said.

She urged them to do so, saying that in this challenging world, human resource training should be on-going for the country to stay competitive and progressive.

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