AWS Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance launches in Malaysia to stimulate the tech talent ecosystem

In October 2024, at Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud Day Malaysia, the region’s AWS Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance was launched.

In collaboration with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), the Tech Alliance aims to modernize tech programs of study at Malaysian higher education institutions, connect learners to in-demand tech jobs, and support the development of a highly-skilled tech workforce.

To achieve this mission, the Tech Alliance brings together a coalition of like-minded organizations from industry, educational institutions, and government. In Malaysia, this includes Premier Digital Tech Institutions (PDTI) such as Asia Pacific University and Taylor’s University, community organizations such as The Asia Foundation, and employers such as CIMB, Deriv, PayNet, and Petronas.

Anuar Fariz, Chief Executive Officer at MDEC, said, “Our partnership with the AWS Tech Alliance has been instrumental in equipping Malaysia’s Premier Digital Tech Institutions (PDTI) with the tools and resources needed to cultivate a pipeline of highly skilled digital talent. By leveraging AWS’s expertise and validated skills maps, we’re empowering our institutions to bridge the skills gap, modernize their curriculum, and produce graduates who are ready to drive Malaysia’s digital transformation. This strategic collaboration aligns perfectly with our national digital agenda, Malaysia Digital (MD), and has the potential to impact over 25,000 students across our 24 PDTI higher education institutions. “

Increasing demand for cloud and AI talent in Malaysia

In August 2024, the AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) Region was launched with a planned investment of $6.2 billion (MYR 29.2 billion) in Malaysia through 2038. The new AWS Region in Malaysia will play a pivotal role in advancing the country’s digitization ambitions, meeting the high demand for cloud services while supporting innovation in Malaysia and across Southeast Asia. It will also enable Malaysia organizations to meet the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDIGITAL) goals, and advance the country’s Malaysia MADANI vision to build a highly skilled, innovative, prosperous, and sustainable economy. 

According to research by BCG, BCG X, and MDEC , there is a growing demand for skilled talent in cloud computing, software development, artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics in Malaysia. As more organizations move their IT to the cloud and new technologies like Generative AI emerge, demand for skilled resources will accelerate and digitization will fuel a vast number of new jobs. However, according to AWS-commissioned research by Gallup , 78% of Malaysian employers surveyed reported they were seeking to fill openings that require digital skills, but 85% said it is challenging to find the talent they need.

With regards to AI skills specifically, AWS-commissioned research by Access Partnership found that hiring AI-skilled talent is a priority for nearly nine in ten Malaysia employers but 81% struggle to find the AI talent they need, highlighting a looming AI skills gap in the country. Employers across Malaysia are willing to pay over 40% higher salaries to workers with AI skills and expertise. On top of salary increases, 97% of Malaysia workers expect their AI skills to have a positive impact on their careers, including job efficiency, higher job satisfaction, and faster career progression.

Addressing the talent shortage

AWS works closely with educational institutions to develop comprehensive skills maps based on in-depth market research and direct input from local employers. These skills maps outline the specific competencies required for in-demand entry-level technical careers, in software development, cloud support, and data analytics. Leveraging these industry-driven skills insights, the Tech Alliance then supports higher education institutions in modernizing their programs of study. This ensures that students are equipped with the most relevant and employable skills, preparing them for future careers.

From left, Dr. Shang Gao (AWS) is joined onstage by representatives from PETRONAS, PayNet, and MDEC during a discussion about how their organizations are collaborating with AWS to develop a highly skilled Malaysian digital workforce including modernizing tech education and connecting earners to high-value jobs through the Tech Alliance.

In addition, the Tech Alliance builds on existing AWS training programs:

• AWS Academy offers turnkey programs on the cloud to higher education institutions. The goal is to prepare students for industry recognized AWS certifications and for high-demand jobs. This program helps educators stay at the forefront of AWS cloud innovation to enable students to develop the skills they need to be hired in one of the fastest-growing industries.

• AWS Educate offers hundreds of hours of training for cloud novices, allowing them to progress at their own pace. Learners can explore job opportunities on the AWS Educate Job Board site and get digital badges. Signing up for AWS Educate requires just an email address. No credit card, Amazon.com, or AWS account required.

• AWS Skill Builder is an online learning center that offers more than 600 free courses. It covers both role-based training and learning plans that focus on a specific domain or role. The training plans allow learners to master the skills of professions such as cloud operator, developer, and solutions architect.

Local employers play a vital role in shaping the Tech Alliance activities and value delivered. They provide critical insights on hiring demand and the specific skills required for entry-level technical roles. Employers will also have direct engagement with students through a series of applied learning activities:

• Tech talks: Industry expert-led sessions focused on cloud technology, industry trends, and professional skills, that allow employers to showcase their brand, job opportunities, and technical knowledge.
• Job preparation events: Employers engage with entry-level tech talent through work immersion, mentoring, technical hiring feedback, and job fairs to help develop their professional and technical skills.
• Technical skilling events: Employers can assess prospective candidates’ skills through hands-on workshops, hackathons, and cloud skills competitions.

Students participating in the Tech Alliance initiative have the opportunity to engage with real-world scenarios, gain invaluable industry skills, and make meaningful connections with potential employers.

“Collaborating with the AWS Skills to Jobs team during the AWS Jam in APU was a pivotal experience for me,” said Yong Yung Hao, Asia Pacific University (APU) ICT Diploma holder and eCloudvalley Engineer. “The hand-on challenges and expert insights from AWS Partners gave me an opportunity for me to showcase my skills. This experience has unlocked exciting career opportunities and transformed my career path in technology!”

Through this holistic approach, the AWS Tech Alliance Malaysia aims to create a robust pipeline of job-ready, highly-skilled tech talent to support Malaysia’s digital transformation.

“The launch of the AWS Tech Alliance Malaysia is a testament to our long-term commitment to upskilling Malaysia’s workforce for the jobs of the future,” said Peter Murray, Malaysia Country Manager, AWS. “Since 2017, we have trained over 100,000 individuals in the country on cloud computing skills. By addressing the skills gap and preparing learners for in-demand tech jobs through Tech Alliance, we are proud to develop the local cloud talent pipeline alongside partners like the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, connecting students to high-value employment opportunities [at more than] 40 businesses in Malaysia. This initiative will complement the 3,500 full-time equivalent jobs that the AWS Malaysia Region is expected to support annually as we help to drive the nation’s digital transformation goals.”

To learn more or join a Tech Alliance or contribute to one, visit AWS Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance.