SHAH ALAM, Nov 3 — Selangor is boosting its digital talent development efforts with the fifth edition of the Selangor Career Outreach (SCOUT) University Series, which provides students with industry insights, exposure to emerging career pathways, and opportunities to engage directly with representatives in the AI and data centre sectors.
The event was held at Sunway University by Invest Selangor Bhd on October 27, in collaboration with the university’s School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence.
State executive councillor for investment, trade and mobility Ng Sze Han said the initiative involves matching potential employees with recruiters.
“In early October, our SCOUT Talent Expo at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre brought together more than 140 companies and (offered) over 10,000 jobs, but one big expo is not enough, so we took SCOUT on the road, campus by campus,” he said in a statement today.
Sunway Education Group chief executive officer Prof Dato’ Dr Elizabeth Lee said the continued collaboration between the state government, Invest Selangor, higher learning institutions and industry players proves Selangor’s commitment to nurturing future-ready talent and ensuring local capabilities grow alongside investment in emerging technologies.
“We are pleased to partner with Invest Selangor on this initiative, which opens up more opportunities for our students to explore emerging careers and better prepare themselves for the future workforce,” she said.
SCOUT also highlighted Sunway University’s growing role in developing talent for the digital economy, with its School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, launched in November 2025, aiming to boost industry engagement and provide students with opportunities to apply their knowledge in real-world settings.
The session also featured industry speakers from NEXTDC and UST Malaysia, who shared their insights and experiences and gave students a better understanding of the skills, competencies and career pathways available in the AI and data centre sectors.
Previous editions of the SCOUT University Series focused on aerospace at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), life sciences at Universiti Selangor (UNISEL), electrical and electronics at University of Nottingham Malaysia, and rail at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam.
The initiative was introduced following Selangor’s successful attraction of nearly RM70 billion in approved investments from January to June, with more than 90 per cent contributed by the services sector, led by information and communications technology (ICT) segment.
Under the Second Selangor Plan (RS-2), the digital economy was identified as a key driver, with priorities including to increase productivity through innovation and resource optimisation while strengthening local enterprises and enhancing the state’s economic complexity.
Ng added that initiatives such as the Advanced Semiconductor Academy of Malaysia (ASEM) continue to strengthen local talent capabilities through industry-focused training.
To date, ASEM has trained more than 800 participants in areas such as chip design, with a reported 100 per cent job placement rate.
Meanwhile, the Malaysia IC Design Park in Puchong supports the development of local semiconductor engineering talent, with Malaysians accounting for 95 per cent of its engineers.
Beyond talent development, Selangor is also working to ensure local businesses benefit from the growth of the digital economy.
Under Selangor’s Local Economic Development (LED) policy, new data centre investments are required to achieve at least 30 per cent local content, creating opportunities for local companies, technology providers and workers to participate in the sector’s value chain.
Invest Selangor has also launched the Invest Selangor Support Network (ISSN), a digital directory and business-matching platform designed to connect incoming investors with vetted local professional service providers, aiming to improve access to local expertise and facilitate the establishment and operation of investment projects in Selangor.
