Kuala lumpur: Malaysia aims to have at least 5,000 local talents undergo Arm Limited technology training by the end of 2027, as part of efforts to ensure the collaboration with the global technology company contributes meaningfully to the development of the country's high-skilled workforce.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir stated that this target is a crucial benchmark in fulfilling the commitment to train 10,000 talents over four years under the Malaysia-Arm partnership. He emphasized the need for a systematic approach to ensure that the target does not remain just a figure in the agreement, highlighting that 1,530 participants have already undergone training.

Akmal Nasrullah noted that achieving the target would require training an average of about 2,500 participants annually. The Ministry of Economy, in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resources, Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), and Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), is developing a coordinated approach to expand the training program.

He mentioned discussions with 12 universities, which showed that these institutions have the capacity to collectively train at least 2,500 participants annually. He stressed the importance of integrating Arm's training into existing academic programs and coordinating efforts to prevent a siloed approach.

Additionally, some universities have agreed to incorporate the training into their industrial training or internship programs, as well as final-year projects, ensuring that the training remains relevant to both academic and industry needs.

Participants who complete the Arm training would have opportunities to undergo industrial training with companies granted Arm Flexible Access (AFA) tokens, linking the program with companies that have access to Arm technology. This initiative aims to integrate local talent into Malaysia's semiconductor industry ecosystem, addressing concerns about the availability of skilled talent within the country.

During the event, Akmal Nasrullah presented letters of offer to two local companies, Oppstar Technology Sdn Bhd and Alphaswift Industries Sdn Bhd. These companies have been granted access to Arm Compute Subsystem (CSS) technology and the AFA program to accelerate integrated circuit design development and semiconductor technology research and development in Malaysia.