Malaysia to host first Global Skills Forum outside Geneva, under ASEAN Year of Skills

GENEVA, June 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Malaysia has been honoured with the international recognition of hosting the Global Skills Forum (GSF) 2025, marking the first time the prestigious event will be held outside of Geneva.

The official announcement was made on June 9 by Malaysia's Minister of Human Resources, The Honourable Steven Sim Chee Keong, during a high-level event co-organised with the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva. The GSF main event will take place in Kuala Lumpur on 22–23 October 2025.

Malaysia's selection as host reflects not only its role as Chair of ASEAN 2025, but also the country's growing leadership in workforce transformation, labour market reform and human capital development. The GSF 2025 will also serve as a flagship initiative under the ASEAN Year of Skills (AYOS), led by Human Resource Development Corporation, an agency under the Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia.

First hosted by the ILO in Geneva in 2024, GSF's second edition in Malaysia signals global confidence in the country's skills leadership and future-of-work readiness.

Malaysia's Global Commitment: Skills Access Without Borders

"GSF 2025 is not just about future skills – it is about fairness," said Minister Steven Sim. "Whether you are a coder in Hanoi, a delivery rider in Jakarta, or a factory worker in Kuala Lumpur, your work deserves respect, your safety deserves protection, and your skills deserve investment."

He continued, "To commemorate this important milestone, I am pleased to announce the global expansion of e-LATiH, Malaysia's national online learning platform. e-LATiH now offers free and borderless access to reskilling and upskilling content for any learner, anywhere in the world."

"Additionally, as announced during the ASEAN Human Capital Development Investment Symposium on 27 May, Malaysia is opening our National Training Week (NTW), taking place from 14 to 21 June 2025, to all ASEAN citizens for the first time. The programme will offer over 65,000 free skills development courses, delivered through both online and physical formats, covering areas such as artificial intelligence, digitalisation, green technology, and leadership. We welcome ASEAN citizens to join us in this regional initiative," concluded Minister Steven Sim.

GSF 2025 will convene 200+ delegates from 16 countries, including ministers, experts, industry and union leaders, and global bodies.

Strategic objectives include:

• Strengthening regional cooperation on skills mobility and labour certification.
• Accelerating investment in green and digital skills.
• Strengthening public-private partnerships in workforce development through Sector Skills Bodies (SSBs) and innovation-driven ecosystems.
• Launching Malaysia's National Human Resources Policy 2024–2030 as a model for ASEAN-wide collaboration.

Against this backdrop, GSF 2025 will serve as a platform to address key workforce challenges, including:

1. Gig economy integration and protections
   GSF 2025 will tackle gig work formalisation and protections, with Malaysia leading via its upcoming Gig Workers Bill, scheduled for tabling in Parliament in the second half of 2025.
   
   
2. Expanding social protection for all workers
   GSF 2025 will explore inclusive models for income security and universal protection, addressing gaps faced by informal, migrant, and self-employed workers in ASEAN.
   
   
3. Rethinking occupational safety
   Following Malaysia's ratification of ILO Convention C155, GSF 2025 will examine how digitalisation, remote work, and labour fragmentation are reshaping workplace safety and regulations.
   
   
4. Private sector at the centre of skills innovation
   For the first time, GSF 2025 will spotlight private sector leadership, with industry, employers, and training providers driving agile, future-ready skills systems.

For information, www.aseanyearofskills.org. For media and partnership, CommsPR@hrdcorp.gov.my.

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Malaysia to host first Global Skills Forum outside Geneva, under ASEAN Year of Skills

LONDON, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2026 edie Energy & Tech Awards ceremony took place in London today, with Wang Qiao, General Manager of Sunwoda Hungary, attending on behalf of the company. Sunwoda's Digital Battery Passport Solution was among the nine finalists in the Supply Chain & Scope 3 Decarbonisation Project of the Year category.

Organised by UK sustainability media platform edie, the category recognises value-chain decarbonisation through supplier engagement, procurement and improved data. Other finalists included Prologis and Mobilityways' Green Travel Programme, Syngenta's Collaborative Carbon Reduction and HH Global's Sustainable Procurement Framework. Sunwoda brought a battery lifecycle data solution to this cross-sector field.

The solution links battery value-chain data to support product carbon footprint management and sustainability disclosures. Battery data spanning raw material sourcing, manufacturing, use and recycling is dispersed among suppliers, manufacturers and downstream partners, complicating carbon accounting and traceability. Sunwoda's solution links product identity, carbon footprint and compliance information in one digital record. This supports emissions hotspot identification, supply-chain coordination and product sustainability disclosure preparation.

Development began in 2023, with collaborative pilots in 2024 and the platform's launch in October 2025. Six modules cover supply chain management, traceability mapping, product carbon footprint, due diligence, passport management and operational management. Covering 78 indicators, the platform integrates material sourcing, environmental performance and compliance records, helping partners collect and access information about the same battery product. Secure data exchange and permission-based access support collaboration while protecting data.

The platform has progressed to practical applications. In 2024, two battery passport projects jointly developed by Sunwoda and its partners were selected for the Global Battery Alliance's Battery Passport pilot programme. According to edie's project profile, Sunwoda completed five pilots in 2025 and engaged 28 key suppliers in carbon management.

Sunwoda has collaborated on battery passport development and applications with well-known domestic and international companies, including TÜV Rheinland and Siemens China. These collaborations build experience linking battery information across organisations and stages of use.

From 18 February 2027, the EU Battery Regulation requires passports for electric vehicle batteries, light means of transport batteries and industrial batteries above 2 kWh placed on the EU market or put into service. Sunwoda plans to release phase two of its battery passport platform in mid-December 2026. Before implementation, platform development and collaborative applications will help customers prepare battery disclosures and connect supply chain information.

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Sunwoda Digital Battery Passport Solution Among Finalists at 2026 edie Energy & Tech Awards