Ghazali (seated centre) flanked by Ho (left) and Maruan (right) with lecturers and graduates.
MIRI: Malaysia is confident of achieving its target of 35 percent skilled workforce in three years’ time or by 2020 when it achieves developed and industrialised nation status.
Chief Special Purpose Vehicle (CSPV) of the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), Ministry of Human Resource Muhammad Ghazali AB Aziz said a recent study by them showed the percentage had increased from 27 percent to 31 percent.
“31 percent is the unofficial percentage, the official one will be announced soon by Minister for Human Resource. I am confident that Malaysia by 2020 could achieve more than 35 percent,” he said on Friday at the graduation ceremony for 20 Sarawakians with a Certificate of Professional Manager (CPM) from the Canadian Council of Professional Certification through the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF)’s 1MalaysiaGRIP Programme.
Muhammad Ghazali said he based his confidence on the numerous efforts taken by the government and HRDF up-skilling programmes, adding that the CPM was part of programmes funded by the government to prepare the workforce especially for the digital economy besides making them more marketable and productive in their careers.
He said HRDF is committed to supporting upskilling initiative for the benefit of employees in Sarawak and so far there are more than 1,000 employees in Sarawak being trained under different programmes.
On the CPM which is an international certification, he commended IGM Academy (based in USJ, Subang Jaya) for collaborating with Canadian Council of Professional Certification in conducting three cohorts or series including the first one for Sarawak.
The graduates also obtained an additional certificate as the modules were recognised by the British Institute of Resource Development as equivalent to a Diploma in Business and Strategy.
These two certificates from one programme fulfilled the government’s objective of up-skilling Malaysian employees to ‘provide employers with a skilled local workforce; enabling businesses in Malaysia to explore higher value chain economic opportunities.
CPM is a four-months’ intensive programme where participants (who are employees of HRDF registered companies) undergo intensive training for 15 days in Miri on subjects from Inspirational Leadership; Innovation including Disruptive Innovation, Strategic Thinking and Planning, Managing Projects as well as Methodology on How to Develop A New Business Plan or Introduce a New Business Innovation Initiative.
Among the objectives of the 15-day intensive programme held during the weekends over four months are the transformation of managers to have the critical ability to communicate ideas and concepts to inspire and motivate others in their team, become a competent manager to lead and work with any team and inspire business to grow.
HRDF, an agency under the Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia, providing human resource development (HRD) solutions via funding, assessments, skills enhancement trainings, education and promotional programmes through the utilisation of its HRD levy and more recently, through its 30 per cent Consolidated Fund.
IGM meanwhile is an approved private lifelong learning institution licensed and accredited by Ministry of Human Resources. Over the past 18 years; IGM and its college Institute Global Management have trained and certified over 17,000 working executives, managers and entrepreneurs from a diversity of life-long learning programmes from certificate to MBA!
Among those present were IGM principal consultant Oliver Ho and lecturers Datuk Ir Maruan Mohd Said and Rali Mohd Nor.