Malaysia on track to have 60,000 skilled semiconductor workers by 2030

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysia is progressing steadily towards its goal of training 60,000 highly skilled professionals for the semiconductor industry by 2030, spanning key areas such as research and development, integrated circuit design, advanced packaging and wafer fabrication.

Among the universities and institutions involved in this effort are Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Malaya, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, as well as skills centres such as the Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems Berhad and the Advanced Technology Training Centre, Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Liew Chin Tong said.

He said talent development has been identified as a key pillar of the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS) since its launch in May 2024 to ensure long-term industry sustainability and competitiveness.

Under Budget 2026, Liew said several semiconductor-focused talent initiatives were introduced, including three million high-tech sector training opportunities under the Human Resources Development Corporation.

The K-Youth and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme by Khazanah is also in place to provide on-the-job training for 11,000 youths without degrees in strategic sectors such as semiconductors, with an allocation of 200 million MYR (49.3 million USD).

This includes the IC Design Flagship Programme which will continue to train 2,500 global-standard personnel in the field of IC design, valued at 340 million MYR, he said.

Liew said major multinational companies in chip design, fabrication, testing and validation have strengthened partnerships with local universities.

He said these collaborations involve developing industry-based curricula, providing high-tech laboratories, industrial training attachment programmes, and joint efforts in applied research focused on next-generation semiconductor technology.

This approach not only ensures the sustainability of the skilled workforce supply chain but also enhances Malaysia's capability to become a regional hub for global-standard semiconductor human capital development, he said.

VNA