As the demand for digital talent in Malaysia continues to grow, Google today announced two new advanced GCC: Business Intelligence and Advanced Data Analytics. These certificates build on the foundational skills from the Google Data Analytics Certificate program, and are designed to help people enhance their technical skills with tools such as BigQuery, Python and SQL. These new certificates are part of Google’s Gemilang program, launched in Malaysia last year. 

A new report launched today titled Bridging the skills gap: Fuelling careers and the economy in Malaysia by the Economist Impact, supported by Google, reinforces the increasing demand for digital skills. Key findings of the report include: 

1. Digital skills are top priority for employees in Malaysia: 65% of employees in Malaysia consider digital skills the most important for today’s workforce, with most still prioritizing basic digital skills (83.1%). Advanced digital skills such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), cloud computing and cybersecurity are also gaining importance. 
2. Employees in Malaysia value soft skills: More employees in Malaysia consider soft skills important (54%) than across the region (41.2%), outpolling employees in countries such as Singapore (51%) and Hong Kong (47%). Employees place special emphasis on interpersonal and intercultural communication (81.5%).
3. Employers and government collaboration can support upskilling needs: Employees in Malaysia place the bulk of responsibility of upskilling on employers. The government can also play an important role by providing financial support and working with employers to address the information gap on what skills are needed.

According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, Malaysia has attained aging nation status and with its youth unemployment rate at 11.1%, this adds another layer of complexity to the labor market. Through initiatives like the Gemilang program, Google helps to bridge the digital skills gap among people from different groups and backgrounds by providing access to digital skills that can lead to career opportunities in high-growth fields. 

“Google is committed to helping Malaysia build a sustainable talent pipeline and we’re seeing encouraging results from our Gemilang program that we run in collaboration with our public and private sector partners. There are over 3,500 Gemilang graduates in Malaysia, and over 80% of them report a positive career outcome such as a new job, promotion or a salary raise within six months of completing the program,” said Joanne Bala, Government Affairs and Public Policy Lead, Google Malaysia. “We’re now announcing new advanced certificates in business intelligence and advanced data analytics which will help people acquire the technical skills they need to grow in their career - whether that’s taking on a new role, assuming more responsibility or gaining a competitive edge.”

The Google Business Intelligence Certificate will prepare Malaysians for jobs like business intelligence analyst and business intelligence engineer in under two months. The Google Advanced Data Analytics Certificate will prepare Malaysians for jobs like senior data analyst and junior data scientist in under six months.

Gemilang also offers GCC scholarships for youth, women and underserved communities distributed through local partners such as Girls in Tech, Malaysia Board of Technologies, Malaysian Digital Association, Mereka Academy, SEGi University & Colleges, Trainocate, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman. 

Supporting the efforts in Malaysia, Minister of Economic Affairs, Rafizi Ramli said, “For Malaysia to remain relevant and competitive in the ever-growing digital economy on a global scale, the collaboration between industry players and employees to address the skills gap in our current and future job market holds a great priority. We are glad to have partners such as Google committed to presenting more opportunities for Malaysians to progress with technology, ultimately contributing to the strengthening of Malaysia’s economic structure”. 

Khairunnisa Razali, a recent Gemilang graduate in Data Analytics said, “The Gemilang programme is designed to help those in need, especially for women looking to kick start their career in the tech field, or even to upskill their existing skill sets. To remain relevant in this digital world, I knew that I had to upskill myself with knowledge beyond my specialized field of biomedical. It was through Google Career Certificates that I was able to complement my enrollment into a Masters of Business Analytics with the basics learnt through the Google Data Analytics course. As a result, I was able to make a career transition from the pharmaceutical industry to the digital and IT field. I believe Gemilang is an enabler for more women to make their career switch into the digital economy.” 

“As technology continues to evolve, it is vital for me to ensure that my skills remain updated with the current technological demands and trends,” said Muhammad Zul Aiman bin Zulkifli, a Data Analyst and also a recent Data Analytics certificate graduate. “When I started my career as a Data Analyst, my main responsibilities revolved around administrative data work and data entry. Upon completing the Google Data Analytics course, I was able to further my career into a data-management centric organization where I now provide data driven solutions directly to the clients. Besides the opportunities presented, the course has enabled me to develop problem-solving skills and helped instill a self-learning habit as well.”

Gemilang also includes a consortium of employers committed to considering hiring Google Career Certificate graduates for their open roles. To improve jobseekers’ employability, credibility and competitiveness in the labor market, Google has collaborated with Maukerja to launch the Gemilang Employer Consortium on its website maukerja.my. Graduates of Gemilang can now apply to in-demand jobs offered by the Gemilang Employer Consortium here. 

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