ETS, Sinergia Asia Partner To Equip Malaysian Workforce For AI-driven Future

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 (Bernama) -- ETS, a global education and talent solutions organisation, has forged a partnership with local workforce and human capital solutions provider Sinergia Asia to strengthen English communication skills among Malaysian professionals, in line with evolving employer needs and the growing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).

The partnership, which was highlighted at the Talent Pulse 2026 – Malaysia's Augmented Workforce Conference on Sept 22, aims to expand access to the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) assessments and support employers, education institutions and training providers with practical tools for English skills benchmarking and development.

Sinergia Asia chief executive officer Nurizan Hussin said building a resilient workforce for an augmented era requires unbroken alignment between industry, education and policy.

“Talent Pulse 2026 demonstrated that technical mastery alone is no longer enough; the ultimate differentiators are cross-cultural fluency, cognitive adaptability, and communication agility.

“Through globally recognised standards such as TOEIC, we continue to empower enterprises and professionals with verified diagnostic benchmarks that bridge the gap between academic qualifications and real-world global execution,” she said in a statement today.

According to the 2026 TOEIC Global English Skills Report, which surveyed 1,325 human resources decision-makers across 17 countries, 81 per cent of respondents believe that AI integration respondents believe that AI integration increases the need for English proficiency in the workplace, while 91 per cent pointed to generating effective AI prompts and 92 per cent to assessing the accuracy of AI-generated information as factors driving the need for stronger English skills.

“Through globally recognised standards such as TOEIC, we continue to empower enterprises and professionals with verified diagnostic benchmarks that bridge the gap between academic qualifications and real-world global execution,” Nurizan added.

Meanwhile, ETS Institutional Products (Southeast Asia and South Asia) executive director Pushkar Saran said that while AI is transforming job dynamics, effective human communication remains essential.

“AI is changing how we work and communicate, but effective human communication remains essential. As workforce needs evolve, standardised assessments such as TOEIC can help employers objectively understand English communication skills and identify where development is needed,” he said.

-- BERNAMA