Malaysia Pushing For Green Skills To Prepare Youth For Future Jobs

By Samantha Tan Chiew Tieng

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysian youths have been urged to embrace green skills as the country's economic future and ASEAN's leadership in sustainability depend on building a workforce ready for the green economy, says Human Resources Ministry (KESUMA) Secretary-General Datuk Azman Mohd Yusof.

He said KESUMA through Talent Corporation Malaysia Bhd (TalentCorp) organised the ASEAN Green Skills and Green Job Career Fair 2025 as a vital platform to prepare the workforce for the green transition.

"It is a platform that bring together governments, industries, training providers and workers converge to highlight the skills that will define ASEAN's future including renewable energy, sustainable design, eco-innovation, energy efficiency and waste management.

"At the same time, the transition must be just and inclusive. Green jobs must provide fair wages, safe conditions, and equal opportunities. No worker should be left behind as we move towards a low-carbon economy," he told Bernama recently.

The ASEAN Green Skills was held as part of the ASEAN Green Jobs Forum (AGJF) on Aug 27, with the collaboration of TalentCorp and the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO). Alongside the fair, the Green Job Fair also took place, offering career opportunities in renewable energy, sustainable technologies, energy efficiency and eco-innovation.

The event reflects ASEAN's commitment to building a sustainable and future-ready workforce, ensuring that young people are equipped with the right skills to thrive in a low-carbon economy.

The two-day AGJF, which began on Aug 27, is aimed to address the rising demand for green skills across the region while promoting an inclusive just transition towards a sustainable future.

Azman said Malaysia is fortunate to have natural strengths such as sunshine, biodiversity and a strategic position in ASEAN, however, resources alone are not enough.

"Our workforce must be ready and readiness requires policy direction, industry commitment and youth participation. This is why Malaysia is also looking beyond national borders. Under our ASEAN Chairmanship, we are advancing the ASEAN Green Jobs Framework and establishing the ASEAN Green Jobs Regional Centre of Excellence. These will provide policy guidance, research and capacity-building across the region," he said.

TalentCorp Chief Executive Officer Thomas Mathew said the MyMahir Impact Study shows transformation is taking place with 16 per cent of jobs facing high disruption from digitalisation in tourism and in oil and gas, 14 per cent of roles are already shifting due to decarbonisation. 

"In healthcare, hotels and public transport, new roles are emerging from digital nurses to virtual reality (VR) experience designers, electric vehicle (EV) technicians to green supply chain specialists. These examples remind us that skills need to keep pace with industries or workers risk being left behind," he said.

Mathew said through the MyMahir initiative, TalentCorp also has mapped out the workforce needs of the future and findings show that out of 949 job roles assessed, more than 896 roles including 60 new and emerging ones require at least one green skill, representing 94 per cent of all the jobs examined.

"There is a demand for green talent amounting to 11.6 per cent but the supply we are currently able to provide is only 5.6 per cent. This gap cannot be taken lightly. If we do not act now, we will not only fail to achieve our net-zero targets, but we will also be sacrificing the future of our nation's heirs," he added.

Mathew said TalentCorp also stressed that education is central to addressing the gap therefore the agency has expanded outreach into schools, engaging students and counsellors even before they stream into science or arts pathways to introduce the idea of future careers shaped by sustainability.

He said TalentCorp is also working with the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) to ensure industry relevance. Before a new curriculum is approved, it is screened via MyMahir to identify gaps, for example, missing green skills which are then embedded into the syllabus. 

"This way, curricula becomes more aligned with industry needs. That is exactly what we want," he added.

Meanwhile, Dr. Amar Hisham Jaaffar, Senior Lecturer and Coordinator of the Master of Energy Management Programme at the College of Graduate Studies (COGS), Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), said that Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in the education curriculum needs to be implemented to strengthen green skills among local graduates.

He said the WIL approach would allow students not only to master theory but also to gain practical experience during their industrial training, including installing solar panels, calculating carbon footprints, and conducting energy usage audits at companies.

"Our graduates cannot rely solely on theory. The industry wants those who are ready with practical experience. Therefore, university-industry collaboration is very important, with TalentCorp acting as a mediator," he said.

He added that the renewable energy sector abroad, especially in Australia, is now facing a shortage of skilled labour, thus opening up great opportunities for Malaysian graduates.

According to him, green skills should not be limited to engineering but can be applied in all fields, including accounting, auditing, human resource management, and creative industries.

He is optimistic that the implementation of WIL and additional certifications will add value to graduates and, in the long term, increase salary prospects in the green sector.

-- BERNAMA