KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), upskilling and reskilling programmes to help workers adapt to changing industry needs, says Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.
“The government aims to create 500,000 jobs through its artificial intelligence (AI) plans, while stepping up efforts to help lower-skilled workers adapt to technological changes.
“The way to manage this challenge is to increase the adoption of technology to facilitate and improve the efficiency of our workforce,” he said in Dewan Rakyat yesterday in response to Datuk Awang Solahuddin Hashim (PN-Pendang), who asked how many jobs could be affected by AI between 2026 and 2030, and the net employment outlook after accounting for jobs created and lost.
Awang Solahuddin said such figures were important to ensure that training allocations translated into actual employment opportunities and higher incomes, rather than merely recording the number of programme participants.
Akmal Nasrullah said AI and automation were changing the labour market, with generative AI reducing routine and repetitive tasks while favouring workers with higher-level skills and experience.
He said training could also take place directly within industries through the Academy in Industry programme, rather than being confined to training institutions.
Economic growth zones also require continued efforts to improve workers’ skills, he added.
