Need to increase state’s talent pool
Developing skilled workers crucial to support Johor-Singapore economic zone

THE Johor Skills Development Centre (Johor Skills) will see a full transformation as the state prepares to establish the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).

Johor investment, trade, consumer affairs and human resource committee chairman Lee Ting Han said the move was crucial in ensuring there were enough talents statewide to support industries at the economic zone.

“The state government has taken the initiative through Johor Corporation (JCorp) to start the transformation of Johor Skills.

“This includes updating the curriculum at the centre, employing more staff and getting more certifications, qualifications and accreditations available.”

Lee told StarMetro that the state government would also be in talks with the Federal Government on the best way to produce more talents, be it through Johor Skills or relying on other models.

Located in Pasir Gudang, Johor Skills trained over 75,000 people since its establishment in 1998.

Lee said the state government had to start getting ready from now, especially in terms of human resources, as it would take time to develop talents.

“The usual complaint we get in Johor, or Malaysia in general, is that our graduates, including those in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), do not meet the expectations of the industry,” he said.

“We need to address this. That is why it is very important to start making preparations to ensure there are ample talents who fit the needs of industries that will come in for the JS-SEZ.”

Apart from the state government, Lee said Johoreans and industry players in the state had to get ready for the JS-SEZ.

“In order to reap the full benefits of the economic zone, Johoreans have to prepare themselves to be competitive.

“The same goes for industry players.

“We will soon see multinational and high-tech companies coming in, and they must be able to compete as well,” he said.

Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim hoped the state government would ensure that locals benefit from the JS-SEZ.

“I welcome the move to transform Johor Skills, which is located in my constituency.

“Apart from supporting industries at the JS-SEZ, there are also existing businesses here that are in need of such talents.

“I see the development of the economic zone as a very positive step, but it is important for locals to benefit from it,” he said hoping that Pasir Gudang was among areas identified for the JS-SEZ.

The exact location of the JS-SEZ has yet to be determined, but it is set to be within Iskandar Malaysia.

Iskandar Malaysia covers an area about 2,300sq km.

There are five local authorities under Iskandar Malaysia, namely the Johor Baru City Council, Iskandar Puteri City Council, Pasir Gudang City Council, Kulai Municipal Council and Pontian Municipal Council.

Malaysia and Singapore signed a Memorandum of Understanding to set up JS-SEZ on Jan 11, just two months after the 10th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat in October when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong agreed to jointly develop the economic zone.
Johor Skills,Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone,industries,TVET
THE Johor Skills Development Centre (Johor Skills) will see a full transformation as the state prepares to establish the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).