Dato’ Fam Lee Ee 

Senior Independent Non-Executive Director of Capital A 

Datuk Abdul Aziz Abu Bakar 

Non-Independent Non-Executive Director of Capital A 

Yang Berusaha Datuk Dr. Ras Adiba Mohd Radzi Member of the Board of Directors, AirAsia MOVE 

Ms Aireen Omar 

President (Investment & Ventures), Capital A  Executive Director of OutClass 

Representatives from the industry 

Capital A and OutClass management team Distinguished guests 

Media friends 

Fellow Allstars 

Ladies & Gentlemen   

Salam Malaysia MADANI and a very good morning to all of you. 

1. A big thank you to Capital A, Aireen Omar, and your Allstars team for inviting me  to this exciting event, the launch of your OutClass programme. 

2. Recent reports, including McKinsey’s 2023 Global Survey, unequivocally reaffirm  the profound impact of skill building in addressing the skills gap. A staggering 87% of companies acknowledge they currently face or anticipate a skills gap. This is  prompting organisations to prioritise skill building over traditional hiring practices  to meet these challenges head-on. 

3. Now, what is skill building? It is the process by which an organization helps its  employees acquire skills needed to achieve its strategic objectives and gain a  competitive advantage. In this digital age, this is one of the critical areas we must  address urgently and this is where collaborations between the public and private  sectors are of paramount importance. 

Ladies and gentlemen, 

4. I am glad to hear that Capital A, via its edutech platform OutClass, is committed in  empowering Malaysians with skills and competencies, in order to increase the  value of our talent pool.  

5. The launch of OutClass today represents a significant step forward. OutClass,  formerly known as AirAsia Academy, serves as a one-stop centre to reskilling and  upskilling through a catalogue of courses and online training content. 

6. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am told that OutClass successfully  reskilled and upskilled over 3,000 of its internal talents. To date, OutClass has  successfully reskilled and upskilled more than 9,000 individuals. The is an  achievement that must be acknowledged. Syabas and tahniah to the team!

7. In addition to that, OutClass provides a refreshing approach to learning, which I  hope will be a gamechanger for not just the younger generation but all levels. By  making learning more engaging and accessible to all, we can break down barriers  and create not just skilled talents but a workforce that is adaptable and  enterprising. 

8. I commend OutClass for having ventured into partnerships and collaborations with  other sectors, to create more learning environments and to ensure no one is left  behind. I hope that this will popularise the digital mindset, which talents can then  bring into the workplace and be changemakers and innovators – in order to  accelerate digitalisation in our country. Learning, after all, is a lifelong journey. 

Ministry of Digital-led initiatives 

9. One of the ways for the Government to address these challenges is by working  closely with all sectors. We need to truly understand what the real concerns of industry are, as well as hear directly from the workforce, and find ways to overcome  these challenges.  

10. The Ministry of Digital is looking at talent development very seriously and the  multitude of challenges faced by industry players. We hope to present our findings,  complete with possible solutions, later this year. 

11. Some initiatives that are in place already include training programmes and courses  offered by the Ministry of Digital through the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation  (MDEC). These digital talent development initiatives are targeted at all categories  of the workforce including those who are new to the workforce as well as those in  employment and are keen to upskill or reskill. 

12. There’s the Premier Digital Talent Institutions programme that recognises 42  faculties from 7 public universities, 10 private universities and 7 polytechnics that  have a proven track record in delivering quality digital technology education. In line  with that, the Digital Tech Faculty Experts (DTeX) aims to create a pool of digital  technology subject matter experts among faculty members of PDTIs, and to  strengthen the quality of teaching and learning. 

13. Talent Hunt is an initiative to enable employment opportunities for final-year  students by bringing industry partners to the PDTI campus to share job  opportunities, and to conduct interviews with the candidates. 

14. Meanwhile, the Malaysia Digital Workforce Training programme encourages  locals to reskill and upskill in digital technology-related courses and certifications.  There is also a Directory, which provides information on courses that have been  reviewed and endorsed by digital industry experts. 

15. These are just a handful of programmes under my Ministry but I’m certain that  more of such initiatives will be established by other Ministries as well as private  sector players in the near future. Technology is evolving at such dizzying  proportions and we must work hand in hand to ensure that our workforce is on top  of the game.  

16. There are no two ways about it. We cannot be complacent, if we want to transform  Malaysia into a digitally-savvy nation with a digitally-empowered citizenry and  workforce. This is key to a healthy and thriving economy, which will benefit  Malaysians from all walks of life. 

17. With that, I once again congratulate Capital A for this noble effort and wish the  team all the very best in all your undertakings. 

Thank you and have a great day.