Malaysia’s targets to have 37 per cent skilled workers by 2015, said

He said now the level of skilled workers in the country was only 23 per cent, which was too low a figure for Malaysia to become a developed nation by 2020.

The 37 per cent figure must be reached by 2015 in order for Malaysia to achieve the 2020 goal (developed nation status), he said at the launching of the Skills Malaysia 2011 campaign here Thursday.

The campaign was launched by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Subramaniam said the level of skilled workers in Germany was 80 per cent, Finland 58 per cent and neighbour Singapore 52 per cent.

To meet the skilled workers target for 2015, he said the government had allocated RM500 million for upgrading skills of workers under the 10th Malaysia Plan (2011-2015).

On the same note, he said the government had started a new scheme called Skim Satu Malaysia to help Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) school leavers and workers with limited skills acquire study loans to raise their marketability.

Towards this end, another skills training institute will be built in Tanjung Malim.

— BERNAMA