Johor received a major boost to its talent pipeline with RM116.22 million in federal allocations to strengthen workforce training and employability.
Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the funding from the Human Resources Ministry would support skills training, talent development and job-matching initiatives to ensure Johor has a sufficient, skilled and industry-relevant workforce.
The funds, he added, was timely as Johor positions itself for accelerated growth under the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).
“I would like to record my highest appreciation to the ministry for its strong commitment and comprehensive support to Johor through a RM116.22 million talent development allocation, including financing for training and skills programmes to strengthen workforce employability and the state’s job ecosystem,” he said in a statement today.
He also thanked Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Ramanan Ramakrishnan and his deputy, Datuk Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan, for engaging with the state government to align Johor’s talent agenda with emerging economic needs.
The meeting, Onn Hafiz said, was timely given the surge in investments driven by the JS-SEZ and Johor Talent Development Council establishment as a central platform to coordinate talent demand and supply across industries.
“Our key focus is to ensure Johor has an adequate supply of skilled and relevant talent to support high-impact sectors and sustain investor confidence,” he said.
Among the allocations discussed were a RM20 million special fund from the Human Resource Development Corporation to support the Johor Talent Development Council, RM13.02 million in HRDC levy funds for technical training, and RM18.8 million under the Industrial Training Scheme to enhance local employability.
Additional support includes RM1.4 million from Talent Corporation Malaysia for the MyMahir programme, RM2 million from the Social Security Organisation for career fairs and strengthening the MyFutureJobs portal.
A RM61 million in loan financing by the Skills Development Fund Corporation is expected to benefit more than 2,300 Technical and Vocational Education and Training students in Johor.
Onn Hafiz said the Technical and Vocational Education and Training financing would prioritise high-impact fields such as artificial intelligence, electric vehicles and semiconductors, which are critical to the JS-SEZ ecosystem.
He expressed confidence that close cooperation between the state and federal governments would deliver tangible benefits for Johoreans, not only by attracting investments but by creating more stable, higher-paying jobs with stronger long-term security.
