Constant improvement a must for workers

 

Workers must be convinced that they need to learn new skills and enhance their current capabilities to better themselves, say experts.

PETALING JAYA: Enabling workers to improve their skills sets or pick up new capabilities is important to ensure productivity growth and professional advancement.

However, there is a snag. Many employers are deterred by the cost, while others fear that employees who have been given the opportunity to upskill or reskill at the company’s expense could eventually join the competition.

Workers’ lack of enthusiasm is another obstacle. Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Syed Hussain Syed Husman said many workers decline the opportunity because they believe their current capabilities are enough to help them keep their jobs.

But upskilling and reskilling can bring benefits for both parties, according to an expert on human resource management.

Benjamin Croc, the CEO of HR software provider BrioHR, said employees who get to upskill or reskill themselves are more likely to feel secured in their current jobs.

“They also feel a high level of satisfaction in their current employment status,” he told FMT Business.

For the employer, he said, it reduces costs. Improving employees skills sets is less expensive than hiring new ones, he pointed out.

The advantage of closing the skills gap is significant. According to the World Economic Forum, it could increase the global economy by US$11.5 trillion (RM50.8 trillion) by 2028.

The results of a short poll conducted on LinkedIn recently shows that 40% of Malaysian respondents want the human resource ministry to introduce policies to upskill the workforce in the country.

Working professionals expressed hope that the government would encourage employers to upskill their workers rather than spend time and money to hire new ones.

Malaysia is not unfamiliar with reskilling. Over the past six decades, a strong emphasis has been placed on skills development.

In the past three years alone, RM19 billion has been spent on various reskilling programmes, comparable to 5% to 6% of the annual budget.

Reskilling and upskilling is essential for the millions of workers who want career advancement. For businesses, it has become a requirement, Croc said.

“If companies want to win the war for talent, it is critical that they enhance workers’ skills sets. It also helps them to maximise productivity and stay on the cutting edge of the digital transformation,” he added.

Croc pointed out that when an employer thinks that upskilling is an expense rather than an investment, it becomes costly. “Upskilling and reskilling existing employees is less expensive than hiring new ones, and it helps businesses stay ahead of the competition,” he said.

SME Association of Malaysia secretary-general Chin Chee Seong said both parties are reluctant to spend time and money on upskilling and reskilling because they do not see the value in it.

“Employees who have attended training courses believe they do not get any recognition or incentives eventually,” he said.

Syed Hussain feels that in the post Covid-19 landscape, upskilling might not be enough to address inadequacies.

“It can partly help to boost yield but businesses must also invest in automation, mechanisation and new technology to empower workers for overall improvements in productivity,” he told FMT Business.

“Bad attitude on both sides is an obstacle. Workers may feel that they do not need it, while businesses, such as small and medium enterprises (SMEs) fear that these workers may then take their newly-acquired skills to the competition,” he added.

He said such steps are necessary for businesses to sustain themselves in the era of the fourth industrial revolution.

“It is imperative that businesses pinpoint skills that employees currently lack, decide what is required of them in the future and single out areas where there are skills gaps. Business organisations must realise how well the younger workers understand the realities of skills decay and the need for professional development,” Syed Hussain said.

Croc believes a public-private partnership would make the workforce more resilient, capable and inclusive.

“In the past, employers expected workers to appreciate the fact that they had a job. Today, employers should appreciate the fact that they have workers,” he added. - FMT