InvestPenang: State aims to attract 150,000 workers from all over Malaysia due to manpower shortage
GEORGE TOWN, June 24 — Penang is hoping to attract about 150,000 of knowledge workers from other states over the next five years due to a shortage of such workers in the state, said InvestPenang executive director Datuk Seri Lee Kah Choon.
He said Penang aims to attract about 30,000 knowledge workers into the state annually.
He said there are highly skilled job opportunities at multinational companies and local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) based in Penang that needs to be filled.
"We want to attract talented workers in various fields, not only in the electrical and electronic industry but also in fields like accounting, law and medicine,” he said at a press conference in PSDC today.
In the E&E industry, he said the industry is moving towards automation which meant that there is a need for highly trained workers to manage the automation.
"There are more high-end investments coming in which created high-income jobs,” he added.
He said the local supply chain and SMEs are facing problems in hiring local talent.
"We need to enhance the local ecosystem by training and attracting talents to support the ecosystem which will in turn support investors and multinational companies here,” he said.
As a support to the local companies on talent development program, the state launched the Penang Internship Subsidy Programme (PISP) on February 18 this year.
Lee said the programme offers qualified companies a monthly allowance subsidy amounting to RM300 per intern recruited from outside Penang for six months.
Today, the special investment advisor to the Penang chief minister announced a total of 111 internship placements that have been awarded to nine local companies under the first batch of PISP.
The nine companies are Ann Joo Steel Berhad, CG Solutions Enterprise Sdn Bhd, Greatech Integration (M) Sdn Bhd, Inari Technology Sdn Bhd, Infinecs System Sdn Bhd, Operion Ecommerce & Software Sdn Bhd, Skyechip Sdn Bhd, UWC Industrial Sdn Bhd and ViTrox Corporation Berhad.
"PISP is also to help the local SMEs to get local talents to join them,” he said.
He said most applicants are more interested to apply for internship at MNCs.
PISP is mainly for local SMEs to attract more interns from other states.
When asked about opportunities for local Penang talent, Lee said priority is given to local talent but the state needs to recruit talent externally due to a shortage of knowledge workers.
He said the shortage is due to an influx of investments into Penang, with the state seeing a record high of RM76.2 billion in approved manufacturing investments, a surge of 440 per cent year-on-year.
"With the influx of strategic investments into Penang, a healthy talent pipeline development is critical to meet the heightened industrial demand,” he said.
He said the state has carried out multi-pronged approaches in talent attraction and development including promoting Penang as a conducive work environment for career development.
Penang homegrown companies can apply for the PISP online via www.penangcatcentre.my.
Closing date for application is on December 31st.
