Malaysia, like many other countries, has embraced artificial intelligence (AI) which continues to drive growth in the technology sector, in line with the government's aspirations of making the country one of the best AI hubs in the region through the Kuala Lumpur 20 (KL20) initiative.
The rapidly evolving technology industry demands talents that are equipped with the right skills and knowledge to keep up with the pace of fast-changing emerging technologies.
Yayasan Peneraju Pendidikan Bumiputera head of programme development and performance, Noralyn Idris, said generative AI would increase the need for AI prompt engineers, AI researchers, AI software developers and machine learning engineers.
"Talents in data analytics, cybersecurity, software developers and UI/UX designers will continue to be in demand, and businesses are willing to offer salaries that are above the average median in the job market.
"To gain a competitive edge and secure high-earning job opportunities, technology workers need to equip themselves with a multitude of skills, both job-specific and general," she told Business Times.
Generative AI is a type of AI technology that allows machines to create various types of content that resemble human-generated work, such as text, imagery, audio and other media.
Yayasan Peneraju continues to engage with industries, agencies, employers and its alumni to ensure that technology-based programmes funded by the agency through its partners and training providers remain relevant and meet the knowledge and skills needed.
Noralyn said based on data collected from its scholars who completed big data training and certifications between 2020 and 2022, more than 65 per cent of 190 unemployed graduates secured a monthly salary of more than RM3,000, and 60 per cent of 250 working professionals achieved a 20 per cent salary increment upon completion of their job monitoring phase.
"The training and certifications offered are tailored to participants' level of knowledge, skills and experience and range from fundamental to advanced.
"Training is conducted both online and in physical classrooms daily on a full-time basis or part-time on weekends," she said.
Noralyn said training and certifications in datafication and cybersecurity continued to be in demand as the knowledge and skills were relevant to various industries, from retail to healthcare.
"Applications are no longer coming from IT based workers but from those with non-IT backgrounds.
"This provides the opportunity for those looking to reskill due to interest or loss of job."
Some of the technology-based training and certifications that Yayasan Peneraju offers and funds are data analytics and data scientists, cloud computing and networking, AI and machine learning, cybersecurity and vendor-based certifications such as Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), CISCO and SAPAmong the certifications that will be offered next year are Java Oracle and Certified Kubernetes Development.
Noralyn said the technology sector was full of opportunities for everyone and welcomed people from various backgrounds, skills and experiences.
She said as technology changed rapidly and expanded across many industries and job roles, it needed new abilities.
"Jobs are no longer limited by age, gender, academic qualifications or nine to five working hours, and it can be done remotely where geographical limitations are removed.
"As long as one is interested and determined to learn new skills , anyone can pursue a career in this sector."
She said an example was digital marketing jobs such as social media specialists, data analysts, content creators and UX designers.
Digital marketing is the marketing of products, services andbrands through digital platforms
such as search engines, websites, social media and other forms of digital communications.
It allows businesses to reach different markets and trade on a global scale with smaller investments compared to physical marketing.
Learning can start in fundamental areas such as marketing, advertising, analytics, coding, wireframing and prototyping.
Opportunities are available locally and globally where an individual can start a career with the potential to explore other related fields.
Noralyn said programmes offered and funded by Yayasan Peneraju, which included technical training and certifications, selfmanagement skills, job placement for a selected target group, job coaching and monitoring, would continue to be based on feedback from the industries and the agency's partners.
"The list of programmes offered, application window and requirements are available on the Yayasan Peneraju website.
"Some of the programmes listed are also identified as certifications needed by the industries, for example, the '7 most in-demand IT certifications for 2024' by LinkedIn are AWS certified solutions architect, certified ethical hacker, Microsoft certified Azure Solutions architect expert and project management professionals.
"Yayasan Peneraju will continue to monitor trends and emerging technologies and expand the list of technical training and certifications offered to ensure Malaysia continues to have the required talent to meet the needs of the industry," she added.