HRD Corp Launches First Micro-Credential Initiative in Malaysia
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An agency under the Human Resources Ministry, Human Resource Development Corp, has partnered with the Higher Education Ministry to launch Malaysia's first micro-credential initiative.
Over 10,000 courses will be offered
The initiative's purpose is to help Malaysians obtain stackable certifications via short-term and personalised learning pathways.
The Department of Skills Development and the Malaysian Qualifications Agency will be providing the guidelines for the micro-credentials. This programme aims to set up 50,000 micro-credential training places for the people by the end of 2022.
With over 10,000 courses across 24 skill areas, the initiative is the country's largest course repository. It is also expected to facilitate over three million micro-credential training places for the next five years.
Training providers, professional bodies, industry players, and higher learning institutions will offer the courses for the initiative.
Simultaneously, the initiative will transform all courses registered under HRD Corp into micro-credential courses by June 2022. However, there will be exemptions for specific training programmes according to the course structure.
Importance of micro-credentials in upskilling workers
HRD Corp CEO Datuk Shahul Dawood stated that micro-credentials have multifaceted advantages for employees, employers, the industry and the nation.
"We hope this initiative will offer more opportunities for Malaysians to learn and develop within their respective industries regardless of their education, experience and career trajectories.
"We also hope that employers will realise the value that micro-credential can provide to their employees' upskilling efforts and encourage more of them to register for micro-credential courses in the coming year," he said during the initiative's launch yesterday.
Also present during the launch were Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan and Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad.
Saravanan said this programme supports his ministry's vision of allowing Malaysian talents to adopt lifelong learning and take on continuous professional skills development.
"The acceleration of digital transformation in Malaysia and around the world has opened up opportunities for anyone to upskill and embrace non-traditional career pathways and trajectories.
"Therefore, it is essential that we provide Malaysians the flexibility and ability to learn and receive formal qualifications in ways best suited to their needs, skills and experience," he said.
On the other hand, Noraini felt that the programme could connect higher learning institutions to industry players in this country.
"This can empower our talents to take control of their career paths, support tertiary education institutions to produce graduates that meet industry expectations, and eventually manage the critical skill gaps in Malaysia," she said.
Saravanan said he's confident that the initiative will help solve incompatibility issues between current human resource expertise and the demands by employers, industries and the labour market in the country.
You can find more details on the initiative at https://hrdcorp.gov.my/microcredential/.
Source: The Malaysian Reserve