GEORGE TOWN, June 19 — The Human Resources Ministry is collaborating with the Penang state government to further develop a chip design academy aimed at boosting the semiconductor and high-tech sectors in the region.

Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said discussions are ongoing to finalise the partnership.

“This academy will produce more engineers, especially for the semiconductor and high-tech sectors in Penang,” he said during the launch of the northern region National Training Week here today.

Sim stressed the importance of equipping the workforce with high-level skills to complement efforts to attract investors to Malaysia and Penang.

“We will announce this after it is finalised by this year,” he said.

At a subsequent press conference, Sim noted that the academy is a state project previously announced by Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

“We want to collaborate with the state government to further develop skills training programmes in Penang,” he said.

Sim also announced a strategic collaboration between HRD Corp and the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) to offer matching grants for companies implementing skills development training for their staff.

“For instance, if a company develops a higher-level course such as a professional diploma, they will receive HRD Corp support in the form of a levy and, simultaneously, a matching grant from NCIA,” he said.

This initiative will provide companies with additional resources to create advanced training programmes for their workforce.

“This reflects our commitment to developing a highly skilled workforce, aiming to reach our target of 30 per cent skilled workers by 2030,” he added.

Sim also highlighted a special upskilling programme for fishermen and their families in southern Penang Island, approved under the Focused Impact Training Initiative (FITI).

“A total of 420 participants from the community will benefit from this programme, which includes training in fields such as boat driving, site safety supervision, security, and computer applications,” he said.

The programme focuses not only on technical skills but also on communication and entrepreneurship.

“The objective is to ensure fishermen are not left behind in economic development resulting from the Silicon Island project,” Sim said, referring to the state’s ambitious reclamation and industrialisation effort.

The initiative aims to help fishermen transition to higher-impact careers, improve their income, and enhance their socio-economic standing.