Unfortunately, the chances of this happening are limited.

According to the 2022 Randstad Workmonitor survey, 97% of Malaysians are interested in learning and development opportunities, but only 36% said employers offered them training in the past 12 months.

“Employees in Malaysia are aware of the importance of having regular upskilling training programmes as part of their career development journey,” Randstad Malaysia country director Fahad Naeem said in a statement.

Asked what they would want to receive training for, 61% of the respondents said technical skills, 60% want to develop soft skills, and 54% are keen on developing in their current roles.

Besides wanting to become better in their jobs, the survey indicated that 96% of the respondents would like to meet with career coaches for advice on finding a better balance between work and personal life (65%), earning higher incomes (64%) and advancing their careers with their current employers (43%).

However, despite the enthusiasm, there is still a hesitation to upskill because of the overwhelming workload as well as lack of mental capacity to attend training courses, said Fahad.

“Workforce upskilling is a combined effort of both the employer and employee.

“In the era of digital transformation, companies need to invest in developing a future-ready and agile workforce to gain a competitive advantage,” he said.

The survey was conducted between Feb 21 and March 13, with 750 locally based respondents who are employed and aged between 18 and 67.

The Randstad survey was launched in 2003 and covers 34 markets in the world, including those in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas.