By Media Selangor Team
SHAH ALAM, May 29 — Selangor is offering up to RM10,000 in training allowances for young Malaysians to fill critical gaps in the country’s semiconductor workforce, as part of a strategic push to strengthen local talent in chip design and advanced electronics.
In a statement, the Advanced Semiconductor Academy of Malaysia (Asem), a collaborative initiative co-created by the Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (Sidec), said the state initiative targets fresh graduates and unemployed graduates aged below 30.
“The goal is to equip them with industry-ready skills in semiconductor design, testing, and verification,” it said today.
The statement also quoted state executive councillor for investment, trade, and mobility Ng Sze Han as saying the Selangor government is committed to bridging the talent gap in the industry by supporting sponsored programmes under Asem.
According to Asem, Selangor is offering two flagship training programmes, namely, the National Semiconductor Excellence Programme (NSEP) and Global Semiconductor Exchange Programme (GSEP).
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Jobseekers milling about during the career fair in conjunction with the Selangor Aviation Show 2024 at the SkyPark Regional Aviation Centre in Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, on September 13, 2024. — Picture by NUR ADIBAH AHMAD IZAM/MEDIA SELANGOR[/caption]
NSEP is a one-month course providing foundational training across front-end and back-end semiconductor design, while GSEP is a more intensive two-month programme in Shenzhen, China, focused on analogue integrated circuit design with real-world guidance from top international companies. The programmes are open to graduates in a wide range of STEM fields, including electrical and electronics engineering, computer science, microelectronics, telecommunications, and physics.
Participants stand to receive RM2,500 upon the completion of training, and an additional RM2,500 per month during a three-month job placement, bringing the total support package to RM10,000.
Applications are open until May 31 for the GSEP, and June 20 for the NSEP.
In December last year, Asem, formerly known as AI Nusantara, announced it was partnering with Suzhou Centennial College in China to offer specialised overseas training under an education-industry collaboration.
Graduates undergoing the exchange could spend up to four months in China, gaining exposure to advanced semiconductor technologies and practices, before returning to work in Malaysian firms aligned with their training.
The move comes amid growing concern over Malaysia’s semiconductor talent shortfall.
Sidec previously revealed Malaysia currently produces only 5,000 engineering graduates annually, while the semiconductor industry requires around 60,000 skilled workers each year.
