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.

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

• The seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook (NEO) for Q4 2026 in Asia Pacific and the Middle East (APME) stands at +33%, improving by five points quarter-over-quarter and four points year-over-year.
• The Information sector (+42%) reports the strongest NEO in Q4 2026, while Hospitality (+20%) reports the weakest NEO among sectors.
• Most employers report hiring timelines are unchanged (40%) or faster (31%) than in 2025, with better targeting of candidates (27%) cited as the leading driver.
• Early-career hiring remains resilient across APME, with 45% of employers increasing hiring over the past year, more than double the proportion reporting a decline (18%), while 36% report no change.

SINGAPORE, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hiring intentions strengthened across APME heading into Q4 2026. Most employers also report filling vacancies at the same speed or faster than a year ago, according to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey.

The survey of 12,794 employers across 11 APME countries and territories found that 46% plan to increase headcount in the coming quarter, 13% anticipate a decrease in staffing levels, while 40% expect no change.

Hiring sentiment improved across APME markets in Q4 2026, with most markets reporting quarter-over-quarter increases. India (+54%) continues to report the strongest hiring Outlook in the region, and globally, followed by UAE (+41%) which records the region's strongest quarter-over-quarter improvement, rising 24 points from Q3 2026. Meanwhile, Japan (+7%) reports the most cautious Outlook in the region.

"The stronger Outlook across APME reflects employers' continued focus on growth and transformation," said François Lançon, Regional President, Asia Pacific & Middle East, ManpowerGroup. "Organizations are creating jobs as they expand, pursue new growth opportunities, and build the capabilities needed to keep pace with technological change. Increasingly, hiring decisions are being shaped by what businesses need to deliver now and to stay competitive next."

View the full results: https://www.manpower.com.sg/en/meos-apme

About ManpowerGroup

ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing, and managing the talent that enables them to win. Our expert family of brands – Manpower, Experis, and Talent Solutions – creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across more than 70 countries and territories and for more than 75 years.

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Hiring Intentions Strengthen Across APME as Net Employment Outlook Reaches +33% for Q4 2026, ManpowerGroup Survey Finds