Malaysia today launched the National Training Index (NTI), a new initiative to measure training and activities among Malaysian industries. The NTI, which was launched by the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp), is the first of its kind in the South-East Asia region.
Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar hopes the index will set the benchmark for regional counterparts to emulate. ”Understanding the training maturity levels of industries, types of training available in the market and the quality of offered programmes, present a full picture of Malaysia’s needs. “It also develops a keener understanding on how to take our talents and workers to the next level. “The NTI is the perfect initiative to help us achieve this aim. It not only standardises and streamlines the way we measure training effectiveness and activities but also sets benchmarks for industry players,” Sivakumar said in his speech.
The NTI is a project spearheaded by HRD Corp aimed at evaluating and characterising the extent of training activeness within various industries in Malaysia. Sivakumar added that efforts such as the NTI are extremely crucial to standardise and streamline the way training effectiveness is measured, as data collected under the NTI could be turned into insights that inform the standing of the nation’s collective action and shape the needed policies. “There is no denying that training, learning and upskilling go hand in hand with human capital development. We must be able to track the former to succeed in the latter.”
As a roadmap for formulating and implementing a sustainable workforce strategic plan, Sivakumar believed NTI is a comprehensive framework that offers an all-encompassing evaluation of the training development capacity and dedication of employers in Malaysia.
“I am hopeful that NTI will revolutionise the training and development landscape for our country, as we work towards accelerating our growth and future-proofing our economy,” he said.
The first NTI Report 2022, measured 81,706 business organisations with over 4.3 million employees from five economic sectors and 238 subsectors, through three dimensions and 19 indicators. According to the report, Malaysia has earned an overall rating of 0.70, placing it in the “Experienced” category; indicating Malaysia’s employers have demonstrated a high level of proficiency in training-related aspects. The NTI scores are in the range of 0.00 to 1.00 and categorised into four levels, Leader (0.76 to 1.00), Experienced (0.51 to 0.75), Adopter (0.26 to 0.50) and Beginner (0.00 to 0.25). Findings from the maiden NTI Report 2022 found that Malaysia achieved a 0.70 overall rating, putting the country firmly in the experienced category. It, however, noted that the nation still lacked the number of employees attending certification courses, technical and practical hands-on learning as well as low enrolment in recognition of prior learning programmes. Among individual sectors, the Manufacturing, Services as well as Mining and Quarrying sectors are in the Leader category with a rating of 0.98, 0.85 and 0.77 respectively. The Construction and Agriculture meanwhile had a 0.44 rating while the Forestry sector recorded 0.48, putting both in the Adopter category.
