KUALA LUMPUR: Demand for digital-related positions in the country increased 300 per cent in 2021 compared to the previous year, of which 20 per cent were to be filled by new graduates, says Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad.

She said the figure was the result of a study done by the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) which involved 56,000 vacancies in the digital field.

"The demand for workers with digital skills is increasing and is critical in helping the development of the country's industries as well as the economy.

"Globally, based on the 'Future of Jobs Report 2020' report, the employment opportunities in this field is reported to increase by 12 per cent to 97 million jobs by 2025," she said during the launching ceremony of the AirAsia Academy's 'On-Demand Learning' (ODL ) portal, and the handing over of job placements to those under the University Graduate Digital Transformation Programme in Kuala Lumpur Sentral yesterday.

Noraini added that the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) always carried out strategic measures and made various efforts to ensure that local graduates could meet the needs of the industries in the digital field.

At the same event, Capital A Bhd president (ventures) Aireen Omar who is also AirAsia Academy CEO said AirAsia Academy had played an important role in bridging the digital divide between higher education institutions and industry players.

"To date, we have partnered with the industry, as well as government bodies to 'upskill' and 'reskill' nearly 6,000 students and those who have worked with the essential skills to drive the Industrial Revolution 4.0," she said.

At the event, a total of six Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) graduates who had completed their digital courses at AirAsia Academy were offered various positions at several well-known companies such as AirAsia, BASF and Carsome.

-- BERNAMA