Senator Jaziri Alkaf Abdillah Suffian, chairman of Minds for Malaysia, said that in an era of rapid change, it’s important for young people to be imbued with the skills and mindset they need to take on the world head on.

“Empowering our young ones will lead to many benefits, (such as) lowering the unemployment rate among youths, graduates will be more job ready, leading to more job creation, and all this will lead to healthier and prosperous economic activities and will have positive impact on our society.”

He said the steps taken by policymakers, industry experts, societies and students today, would shape society for years to come.

“At this critical crossroad, leaders must consciously, proactively and urgently lay the foundations for a new social structure, rebuilding our economy so it provides opportunities for all.”

He added that Minds For Malaysia, of which he is the chairman, was committed to engaging with both public and private sectors to provide better training and help bridge the skills gap between young workers and the industry demands.

“We want our next generation to prepare themselves for the ongoing technological transformation of the future of work.