Kuala Lumpur, 11 November 2020 – The 2020/21 Malaysia Salary Guide report by workforce solutions provider, Kelly Services, has highlighted the need for a public – private sector collaboration to generate more opportunities for jobseekers, and lower Malaysia’s unemployment rate.
The report, which was released today, also emphasised the need for digital skills — a key demand by employers across almost every industry.
Kelly Services Malaysia managing director, Brian Sim said the Movement Control Order (MCO) has resulted in a tidal wave of digital transformation across all organisations, substantially increasing the demand for highly-skilled talents who are able to quickly adapt to new technologies.
“The new normal has emboldened organisations to explore new ways of working using technology in an effort to ensure business continuity and productivity,” Sim said in a statement today.
He also noted that the transformation is permanent, and has fast-tracked Malaysia’s journey in the Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0).
“Heading into 2021, digital skills will be fundamental to the employability of jobseekers and will be a vital ingredient to the career progression of those who are already employed,” he added.
The report also revealed that there are many “new-collar jobs” in the information technology sector, which has been largely unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A new-collar worker is an individual who develops the technical and soft skills needed to work in technology jobs through nontraditional education paths.
The report noted that remote working has driven the use of collaborative software, cloud data storage and advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning, creating a demand for talent within this sector.
While there has been a slowdown in certain information technology segments, the situation is expected to stabilise, it said.
“However, employers need to also improve salaries and provide career growth opportunities to attract and retain critical talent in their organisation.
“Hot jobs to look out for in this sector include lead software developer, information security manager, software engineer and analyst programmer,” the report said.
-BERNAMA
