MBAM TEAMS UP WITH ILO TO BOOST SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, EMPLOYABILITY IN CONSTRUCTION SECTOR

KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 (Bernama) -- The Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) has teamed up with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to boost industry leadership in skills development and increase the employability and continuous career development of workers, particularly women and vulnerable youth, in the construction sector.

In a statement today, MBAM said both parties have jointly launched an implementation agreement that would support the improvement of the sector skills strategy with the industry’s input, promote quality apprenticeship programmes, develop pilot gender-sensitive career progression maps and enhance MBAM’s capacity as a sector skills body for the construction sector in Malaysia.

It said at the moment, the construction industry is facing skills shortages, partly due to limited opportunities for workers to join industry-relevant and work-based training, especially for some specialised trades while attracting diverse talent remained a challenge for the industry.

“The new partnership addresses these and other issues in a way that enables the industry to have greater involvement in skills development and strengthen its partnerships with key stakeholders,” it said.

It said the partnership would also strengthen the growth of the sector while enhancing policies and institutional mechanisms.

“Moreover, the partnership will improve skills utilisation, employability and career development paths for women and youth from vulnerable groups in Malaysia such as those in the bottom 40 per cent of the economy,” it said. 

It said this would be done through the enhancement of a sector skills strategy, delivery of industry-led technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and skills training modalities and development of gender-sensitive career progression maps.

It added that over the next eight months, MBAM would design and implement planned activities in coordination with its own member firms, government agencies, TVET institutions, industry partners, workers’ organisations and other social partners.

-- BERNAMA