Global chip shortage paves way for job opportunities in NCER

GEORGE TOWN: The Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) believes that the advanced semiconductor and electrical and electronics (E&E) ecosystem in Penang and Kedah are well-positioned to capitalise on the global shortage of semiconductor microchips.

NCIA chief executive Datuk Seri Jebasingam Issace John said the global chip shortage is spurred by the Covid-19-induced supply crunch.

“Microchips are critical in the production of automobiles, household appliances, medical devices, telecommunication equipment and information technology products.

“With the global rise in demand for semiconductor microchips, leading E&E players such as Jabil Circuit Sdn Bhd and Inari Amertron Bhd should play a bigger role in addressing unemployment in the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER),” he said during a virtual handover of a Letter of Offer to Jabil and Inari yesterday, subsequently forming a strategic collaboration between the three parties.

Jabil and Inari, key players in the NCER E&E industry, have recruited close to 2,000 workers via NCIA’s JomKerja@NCER programme.

Jebasingam said since the programme was launched in August 2020, JomKerja@NCER has helped create close to 5,000 job opportunities in the manufacturing, services and agribusiness sectors, with NCIA committing to more than RM21 million in incentives for over 100 businesses operating in the NCER.

He said Penang and Perak are leading the way in jobs creation at 66.8 per cent and 21.1 per cent, respectively, followed by Kedah and Perlis at 7.3 per cent and 4.8 per cent, respectively.

This year, he said NCIA has pledged a total job creation target of 14,487 for the region, and the strategic collaboration with Jabil and Inari are expected to contribute towards meeting this objective.

“These local talents who have registered with the JomKerja@ NCER pool are semi-skilled and fully-skilled workers from various manufacturing industries such as E&E and machinery and equipment (M&E) who were recently retrenched, as well as fresh graduates and school leavers.

“Recruiting companies will employ them and provide on-thejob training as stipulated under the JomKerja@NCER terms and conditions. During this period, NCIA will undertake to incentivise companies through the provision of 50 per cent of wages up to a maximum of RM1,000 per worker for six months,” Jebasingam added. — Bernama