Malaysia to offer 3.3 million jobs by 2020

Malaysia is expected to provide 3.3 million new jobs in various sectors by 2020 through the joint effort of the government and private sector, said Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan.

She said employment opportunities for locals were being expanded from time to time, especially those offered by the Manpower Department and other agencies under the Human Resources Ministry for school leavers, university graduates and the unemployed.

"By 2020, the nation needs high-performing and highly skilled manpower. It needs at least 40 per cent skilled workers by 2020 to be at the same level with developed countries.

"Therefore, the ministry needs to focus on skills training and development to meet the target of making Malaysia a high-income nation."

Maznah said this after opening the Career and Skills Mini Carnival with Kuala Lumpur Residents 2012 organised by the ministry at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) in Pudu Sentral, here, yesterday. Also present was UDA Holdings Bhd managing director, Ahmad Abu Bakar. Maznah said among the ministry's efforts to produce highly skilled workers was by improving technical education, vocational training and making the field a career of choice as highly skilled workers were in great demand in the employment market now.