Hot Topics: Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

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    10 August 2012| last updated at 01:07AM

    Allow staff to improve their skills, bosses told



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    KUALA LUMPUR: Employers have been urged to allow their staff to further their education for self-improvement.

    Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said many employers had failed to view their employees' skills development on a long-term basis and this was hindering Malaysia from achieving a 50 per cent skilled workforce by 2020.

    "Employers must understand that a skilled workforce promotes greater productivity and the company would be able to reap in bigger profits," he said after launching a "Work&Study" online portal for working adults who wished to pursue their tertiary education.

    There are more than 500,000 school leavers each year and 350,000 of them became unskilled workers, he said.

    "To improve our current skilled labour from 29 per cent, people must develop a continuous behavioural change. They must understand that tertiary education not only brings about a higher salary or skills recognition but is also part of a person's fulfillment in life."

    He said Malaysia had adequate infrastructure in both government and private institutions tailored for working adults to further their studies.

    "The opportunities are there. The only thing to do is for each individual to come forward and use these facilities."

    Stressing on the importance of a knowledge-based society, Dr Subramaniam said a low-skilled workforce would only attract foreign labour into the country and this resulted in an overdependency on them.

    "Our country's economy will only continue to flourish if our society is knowledge-based and predominantly locals."

    Earlier, at the portal launch, Dr Subramaniam said the website, which was developed by Times Online Media Sdn Bhd and sponsored by Open University Malaysia (OUM), was another gateway for working adults to study on a part-time basis.

    The website, which can be accessed at www.workandstudy.my, will help working adults find a suitable course according to their education level and provide choices for further education.

    Present during the event was Times Online Media Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Mohamed Ariff Nun and OUM vice-chancellor Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Anuwar Ali.

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