NHCCE 2025 RECORDS RM1 MILLION SURPLUS TO FUND TRAINING FOR GIG WORKERS - STEVEN SIM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 (Bernama) -- 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 said the entire surplus will be channelled into providing training for gig workers, in line with the government’s commitment to upskill and protect the group under the newly passed Gig Workers Law.

He said Malaysia aims to achieve a 35 per cent skilled workforce by 2030, and it is often stated that the country needs tens of thousands of engineers and technicians.

“Yet, according to a 2022 study, 47.16 per cent of e-hailing riders who reported gig work as their main source of income possess either SPM or diploma qualifications. This group can potentially fill critical skill roles in the job market. Yet, for various reasons, they did not.

“Gig work may provide immediate income, but their education and training are not fully utilised and they miss the opportunity to build long-term careers. This is not only a loss to individuals, but also to the nation’s aspiration of building a high-income, high-growth, high-tech, high-value economy,” he said in his opening speech at NHCCE, today.

Sim said that HRD Corp has been tasked by the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) to ensure gig workers are provided with quality training opportunities to support their career advancement.

He added that to ensure these opportunities reach the right individuals, HRD Corp will collaborate with associations representing gig workers, as well as platform companies, to connect them directly to the training programmes.

He also highlighted HRD Corp’s achievements over the past three years, noting that out of RM6.17 billion in levies collected since 2023, a total of RM5.77 billion, or 94 per cent, has been spent on training about four million workers nationwide.

“Out of this amount, about RM25 million was spent on AI and IT-related skill courses, with more than 20,000 workers trained. While these numbers are large, we know they are not enough.

“HRD Corp and KESUMA will continue to intensify efforts to provide more training programmes, including free courses, to help Malaysians adapt to the AI-driven labour market,” he added.

-- BERNAMA