The council will continue to strengthen the TVET ecosystem while providing highly skilled career opportunities, explained Mr. Ahmad Zahid.

“To prevent talent from seeking employment overseas, it is crucial to offer competitive salaries and, by introducing higher salaries, Johor aims to improve local employment opportunities, ensuring that they remain attractive to workers and graduates from over 220 TVET institutions in the state (of Johor). “, he added.

According to local media reports, Mr Ahmad Zahid had also asked the Human Resource Development Corporation to allocate RM20 million to facilitate training efforts and sourcing talents keen to join the job market.

The launch of the JTDC on November 3 was also attended by Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi, Higher Education Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir and Deputy Human Resources Minister Abdul Rahman Mohamad.

State Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the JTDC talent center would bring together all education and training courses in the state to meet industry demands and expand partnerships with industries and higher education institutions in the areas of research, provision of equipment and sharing of expertise, as reported by Bernama.

“I think Johor is the first state to launch a talent development council… we hope to provide high-value jobs to key sectors under the JS-SEZ,” he said.

Mr. Ahmad Zahid said that currently there are 100,000 quality employment opportunities under the JS-SEZ, of which 74,000 are available. So far, only 52,000 positions have been filled.

“This (the Johor Talent Development Board) could ensure that the 100,000 quality job opportunities created under the JS-SEZ are taken up…only some 52,000 have been filled, which shows that the People want well-paying, quality jobs,” he said. saying by The Star.

The proposed JS-SEZ aims to boost Johor’s economy through economic cooperation with Singapore, with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between Singapore and Malaysia in January 2024.

The idea of ​​the Johor Talent Development Council was first mooted by Mr Onn in July this year, as part of his plans to transform Johor into a developed state by 2030. The council would liaise with universities and colleges to prepare graduates for specific studies. jobs to meet the needs of the industry.

“With a comprehensive policy and strong support from all stakeholders, I am confident that the JTDC will play an important role in making Johor a developed state, while being the main reference in meeting sufficient and sustainable labor needs. qualified work,” he said in July. 18, cited by the Malay Mail.

Earlier this year, on February 19, the Department of Statistics Malaysia – an agency under the Prime Minister’s Department and the Ministry of Economy – had reported concerns over a ‘brain drain’ of skilled workers leaving Malaysia and urged pressure to ensure Malaysians return to their home countries after overseas work experience.