Kuala lumpur: The National Human Capital Conference and Exhibition (NHCCE) 2025 has recorded a surplus of about RM1 million this year, compared to RM500,000 in 2024. Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong announced that the entire surplus will be allocated to providing training for gig workers, aligning with the government's commitment to upskill and protect this segment under the newly enacted Gig Workers Law.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Malaysia aims to achieve a 35 percent skilled workforce by 2030, with a specific emphasis on increasing the number of engineers and technicians. Despite this aim, a 2022 study revealed that 47.16 percent of e-hailing riders, who rely on gig work as their primary income source, hold either SPM or diploma qualifications. This group has the potential to fulfill critical skill roles in the job market but remains underutilized.
Sim emphasized that while gig work offers immediate financial benefits, it does not fully leverage individuals' education and training, resulting in missed opportunities for long-term career development. This situation not only affects individuals but also hampers the nation's ambition to build a high-income, high-growth, high-tech, high-value economy.
The Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) has tasked HRD Corp with ensuring that gig workers receive quality training opportunities to support their career progression. HRD Corp plans to collaborate with associations representing gig workers and platform companies to connect these workers directly with training programs.
Sim also highlighted HRD Corp's achievements over the past three years, noting that out of RM6.17 billion in levies collected since 2023, RM5.77 billion, or 94 percent, has been spent on training approximately four million workers nationwide. About RM25 million of this amount was allocated to AI and IT-related skill courses, training over 20,000 workers. Despite these efforts, Sim acknowledged that more needs to be done.
HRD Corp and KESUMA will continue to intensify efforts to provide additional training programs, including free courses, to help Malaysians adapt to the AI-driven labor market.