HR Ministry to focus on providing technical, skills training to workers — Sim

BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Human Resources Ministry will focus more on improving the skills of employees this year by providing technical and skills training so that their productivity can be increased.

Its Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said that the ministry’s focus is to help workers improve their skills while at the same time wanting to ensure workers get a better salary.

“The ministry wants to go all out to help the workers this year, to get skills and technical training so that they can increase their salary based on the certificate and the training. There are two things here - we want to help the workers get a high and commensurate salary and at the same time, we want to help employers get high profits.

“It seems like a contradiction but for me how do we close this gap? The answer is productivity; we have to increase (productivity) and not only employers can make a profit but employees can get better wages,” he told reporters here yesterday.

He was met after officiating the MADANI Training Carnival (KLM) and the MADANI Kesuma programme (PKM) at Dewan Ng Yam Huat. Also present was Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) chairman Datuk Abu Huraira Abu Yazid.

Sim said that the ministry also worked hard to strengthen and develop human resources in the country as well as the commitment to succeed in its threefold focus centres on fortifying welfare, enhancing skills and boosting overall workforce productivity.

“The government has allocated RM44 billion to help companies, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to develop infrastructure and climb the value chain through automation, digitalisation and so on.

“Apart from that, the government has also allocated RM6.8 billion to increase worker productivity through TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training). This shows the government’s commitment to helping workers and employers because the fate of both parties is closely linked,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sim said that KLM and PKM in Penang this time brought eight departments and five agencies under his ministry to provide their services directly to the public at the programmes.

He said that KLM aims to engage HRD Corp’s stakeholders and provide skills upgrading and retraining opportunities to the community and Penang KLM is the first in a series of skill-based days planned by the agency nationwide.

“Through that programme, we (at the ministry) are also organising the Chinese New Year celebration with a slightly different approach.

“Apart from the festivities, we will also bring eight departments and five agencies to provide services to the local residents... some may come and register for skills training and so on,” he said.