BUTTERWORTH – The Human Resources Development Corporation (HRD Corp) has exhorted employers to practise innovation and a new work culture to cope with the acute shortage of workers in the service and manufacturing sectors.
Its chief operating officer Datuk Ariff Farhan Doss said there is a need to adjust to the new normal in times such as the present, when the availability of suitable workers has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said that employers should not take the easy way out and opt for migrant labour, as the country can no longer be dependent on such a recourse.
“What if another pandemic hits? We need to innovate,” he said in an interview with The Vibes on the sidelines of HRD Corp’s open-day event at The Light Hotel in Seberang Jaya here earlier this week.
Ariff stressed that HRD Corp is ready to play a role in bridging mismatches in the job market.
Besides being involved in the upskilling and retraining of workers, the agency under the Human Resources Ministry is also keen to help employers overcome the nagging shortage of workers.
We are keen to provide the solutions, but before we do this, we also need to understand the acute problems besieging the jobs market,” he said.
The event included a two-day job fair at the hotel, where 6,100 vacancies were made available.
“There are jobs, quality ones, but why do the young shun them? We need to find out,” said Ariff.
Consider flexible working hours
Among factors contributing to the worker shortage is the gig economy, where many youngsters prefer to work part-time in online jobs that are flexible but pay well.
To cope, Ariff suggested that employers consider more flexible working hours while ensuring that the workers’ productivity remains the same.
We can work shorter hours, but our productivity can be higher or the same,” he said.
HRD Corp is now upgrading its list of training providers, numbering at about 6,000, with another 10,000 certified trainers.
It is important to ensure that the modules they teach are relevant in the age of digitalisation and the post-pandemic period, Ariff stressed.
“We will have refresher courses for them to attend,” he added.
HRD Corp also aims to conduct training processes of higher quality.
In Ariff’s case, he is dismissive of modules such as a two-hour team building exercise, followed by dinner and a “partying” concept.
There is a constant need to retrain workers in view of shifting job functions and work cultures, including that of working from home. – The Vibes, March 12, 2022
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