Green Related Policies in Malay
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ysia According to Sector
3
Methodology
The overall workflow of this study is outlined below. Within the project workflow are
three methodologies for obtaining information: desktop study, survey and focus group
discussion (FGD). The details of each methodology are explained in the next section.
• Benchmarking • Review green job definition
• Identify green skills/green areas of competence
Desktop Study • Identify training/ accredited centers’ readiness.
Focus Group Survey
Discussion
• Analyse green job demand
• Focus group Discussion 1: • Analyse marketability
• Analyse area of competence
Finalize the green job definition • Identify drivers and challenges
• Focus group Discussion 2:
Identify drivers and challenge to
increase community participants
Gap Analysis of green-related NOSS/ Course
• Identify available green-related NOSS/ course
• Map Courses with Sector
• Map Course with area of competence
• Gap analysis
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Findings and Discussion
Malaysia’s Green Jobs Definition
From the participants’ feedback, the green job definition resulted from the consensus
obtained after both FGDs is:
“Green job are occupations that contribute to
the preservation, conservation and
restoration of resources and the environment
and improve well-being through sustainable
”activities, practices, products and service.
This definition was referred to throughout this study. This definition also was proposed
to be used in Malaysia.
Demographic Profile
The distribution of the respondents by state and sector is shown in figures below.
Building Energy Terengganu 1
Kelantan 3
43% 27% Sarawak 4
Putrajaya 4
Perlis
Melaka 5
Perak 8
Pahang 9
Kedah
Penang 10
12
Negeri Sembilan 18
Kuala lumpur
Transportation Selangor 32
Johor
30% 55
108
130
Energy Transportation Building
Respondents’ profile by sector Respondents’ distribution by state and sector
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Demand for Manpower in the Field of Green Jobs
The purpose of this section is to estimate existing green jobs based on the survey.
Based on the survey, only 41% of the respondents offered green jobs, while 59%
offered conventional jobs. The 41% of companies offering green jobs are further
breakdown by size of company as presented below.
Jobs breakdown by the size of the company
Data gathered from the survey with 400 respondents showed a total of 13,741 workers
worked in the green categories across all sectors. The number of green jobs was
broken down based on the type of company, as shown below.
Percentage of green jobs by different types of company
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This study estimated the number of existing green jobs using the ratio method to
understand Malaysia's overview of green jobs. The number of green jobs was
estimated by multiplying the rating of the company that offered green jobs with the
number of establishments and the average number of green jobs for each small,
medium, and large company and its sector, respectively. The result of the estimation
of the existing number of green jobs in Malaysia is presented in the table below.
Sector Small Medium Large Total
Energy 16,251 7,334 19,370 42,955
Transportation 12,377
Building 16,128 43,677 129,605 185,659
Total 44,756 126,455 109,200 251,783
177,466 258,175 480,397
It was estimated that there were already 480,397 green jobs in industries in these
three sectors. Since 2014, there has been an 80% increase in green jobs. Among the
factors that boosted the number of green jobs are the National Energy Efficiency
Action Plan (2016-2025), 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-2020), Malaysia Green
Technology Master Plan (2017-2030), National Transport Policy (2019-2030) and the
National Automotive Policy (2014-2020).
The demand for green jobs was analysed based on the results of the survey. As shown
in the figure below, only 39% of respondents considered adopting greening measures,
which could potentially create more green job demand.
None 61% 1 Year
12%
3 year
7%
9% 5 year
11%
>5 year
The percentage of companies that intended to offer green jobs in the future
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Malaysia's total green job demand was estimated based on the existing number of
green jobs in 2023. The percentage increment of green jobs for the next five years
(baseline 2023), as presented below, was obtained from the survey analysis.
Percentage
Year
Trend of the increment of green jobs in the next five years (baseline 2023)
Based on this percentage, the number of green job creations was estimated for all
three sectors (energy, transportation and building), and it is shown in the table below.
Sector 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027
Energy 1,917 5,464 7,918 10,608 13,749
Transportation 16,333 30,955 48,858 69,399 92,937
Building 9,499 23,153 42,283 64,117 90,304
Total 27,750 59,573 99,059 144,124 196,990
Overall, green jobs are estimated to increase by 41% in the next five years and create
about 196,990 jobs. The additional demand for green jobs is aligned with the current
government policies, roadmaps and action plans that are estimated to create more
green jobs in the future, such as the National Energy Policy (2022-2040), the Low
Carbon Nation Aspiration 2040, the National Automotive Policy 2020 and the National
Energy Transition Roadmap (Phases 1 and 2).
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Green Jobs-related Programmes/Courses
Based on the literature, there are 21 areas of competence related to green jobs
(LinkedIn Economic Graph, 2022). The list of 21 areas of competence by sector is
shown below.
Sector Area of Competence
General Area 1: Sustainability (Management)
Area 2: Sustainable Development
Energy Area 3: Climate
Transportation Area 4: Environmental Awareness
Area 5: Environment, Health and Safety (EHS)
Building Area 6: Environmental Science
Area 7: Environmental Management Systems
Area 8: Codes/Standards/Legislation
Area 9: Remediation
Area 10: Recycling
Area 11: Solar Energy
Area 12: Renewable Energy (biogas, biomass, hydro, CHP)
Area 13: Sustainable transportation
Area 14: Electric Vehicles,
Area 15: Energy Storage, Battery Management Systems
Area 16: Vehicle technology/maintenance
Area 17: Green building
Area 18: Sustainable Design
Area 19: Material selection
Area 20: Smart appliances
Area 21: Construction waste management
The top ten areas of competence for current and future green jobs needed by
industries are presented in the figure below.
E9
Top 10 Current Area of Competence Needed by Industry
8.8 %
8.6 %
8.3 %
8.0 %
7.1 %
6.9 %
6.4 %
5.9 %
5.8 %
4.4 %
Top 10 Future Area of Competence Needed by Industry
6.8 %
6.6 %
6.5 %
6.5 %
6.3 %
5.9 %
5.6 %
5.3 %
5.2 %
5.2%
Based on these current and future areas of competence needed by industries, relevant
green programmes/courses offered by training institutions (TIs) were identified. In this
study, three types of TI were considered, including training providers (TPs), institutions
of higher education (IHEs), and accredited centers (ACs).
From the desktop study, training providers (TPs) offered 159 green-related short
courses, consisting of 85 energy-related courses, 47 building-related courses, and 27
transportation-related courses. It can be summarised that the short courses offered by
TPs were sufficient to meet the current needs in their respective areas of competence.
Besides, short courses offered by TPs are easier to develop to cater for the changing
needs in the areas of competence in the future, as compared to IHEs and ACs
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Meanwhile, Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) offer programmes such as
diplomas, bachelor’s degrees, and master’s degrees. These programmes consist of
many courses and cover many fundamental aspects of green, such as sustainability
management, sustainable development, environmental awareness, and
Codes/Standards/Legislation. Through the desktop study, it was found that IHEs
offered 372 green-related programmes. The programmes offered were highly related
to sustainable development, and they covered all of the areas of competency identified
in this study. However, the laboratory courses offered by IHEs covered basic science
and engineering knowledge, which may or may not be related to 21 areas of
competence. Hence, there is still room for improvement on the side of IHEs to
incorporate green job-related areas of competence in laboratory coursework.
For accredited centres (ACs), there were 47 green-related National Occupational
Skills Standard (NOSS)/National Competency Standard (NCS), but only 6 had training
providers. This result shows that ACs possessed the necessary materials for
conducting these NOSS/NCS. Nevertheless, there were not many ACs that provided
these NOSS/NCS. Besides, out of the 21 areas of competence, 6 of them had no
related NOSS. This finding indicates that NOSS could still be developed to cater to the
increasing demand for green-related areas. These green-related areas, excluding
generic areas without NOSS (e.g., Climate, Environmental science and recycling), are
listed below:
• Sustainable Transportation apart from EV (Transportation Sector)
• Sustainable Design (Building Sector)
• Material Selection (Building Sector)
• Smart Appliances (Building Sector)
• Construction Waste Management (Building Sector)
• Remediation (Building Sector)
However, as each of these areas is specific, it is recommended that a thorough study
of each specific area be conducted to revise its current content.
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Readiness of Training Institution to Offer Skills Training
in the Field of Green Jobs
The estimated number of students, trainees, and participants in green jobs-related
training by TIs in five years (2023-2027) is shown below.
Sector Students/trainees/participants for Green Total
Jobs-Related Training by TIs
General 196,200
Energy AC IHE TP 135,900
23,500 149,200 12,500
15,000 76,400 44,500
Transportation 1,000 59,600 23,500 84,100
Building 6,000 71,600 12,500 91,100
507,300
Based on this result and the projected green job creation, it is expected that the
existing NOSS, courses, and programmes, with the exception of the transportation
sector, can meet the demand for green job creation. However, this supply-demand
mapping does not accurately reflect the actual scenario. Each industry has its own set
of technologies that must be thoroughly examined.
E12
When it comes to green-related courses/programs, IHEs and TPs offer a significantly
larger number of courses/programmes compared to ACs. There are several factors
that contribute to this disparity. IHEs have already included sustainable elements in
their courses to align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On the other hand,
TPs, which include private training centres and government agencies, are well-
equipped with facilities and allocate specific budgets for green job-related short
courses training.
In contrast, ACs had only 47 green-related NOSS, and most of the NOSS provided
hands-on training. However, AC only offered six green-related NOSS out of 47 NOSS
related to green jobs, while 41 green-related NOSS were not offered. The summary of
the findings and recommendations for this objective is presented below.
E13
Marketability of MSC Holder In the Field of Green Jobs
Based on the survey, 21% of the respondents provided feedback on the number of
workers that were MSC holders in their company. The feedback was analysed by
company size and the percentage of workers that hold MSC, as presented below.
The percentage of workers with MSCs in small, medium and large companies
The limited hiring of MSC holders by large companies is mainly attributed to
outsourcing skilled jobs to sub-contractors, predominantly from small and medium-
sized companies. Consequently, small and medium-sized companies end up hiring
more MSC holders to perform skilled jobs.
To further understand the marketability of MSC holders, the respondents were asked
whether they were interested in hiring MSC holders in the future. The feedback
showed that 49% of the respondents were interested in hiring MSC holders, 37% were
unsure, and 14% did not want to hire any. More than half still lack interest in hiring the
MSC holder. A follow-up question was asked to identify factors that hindered the
companies from hiring MSC holders. The two main reasons for the companies being
unsure or not wanting to hire are the lack of awareness regarding MSC programmes
for green jobs and the fact that the competency courses offered under MSC did not
align with their company’s interests.
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Companies’ interest for MSC holders’ Reasons that hindered the recruitment
recruitment of MSC holders
To summarise, the marketability of MSC holders is higher in small and medium-sized
companies. Nevertheless, the marketability of MSC holders in green jobs is still low,
with only 21% of respondents providing information about MSC holders in their
respective companies. This finding is in line with the fact that 40% of the respondents
were unaware of any MSC in green jobs. Hence, it can be inferred that industries still
lack awareness regarding MSC programmes, especially concerning green jobs.
Therefore, an introductory training courses should be conducted for industries to
introduce the relevant courses or programmes to enhance green skills. The objective
is to promote courses or programs that are suitable for upskilling and reskilling their
employees. This platform also can be used to encourage industries to participate in
the Academy in Industry (AiI) and Sistem Latihan Dual Nasional (SLDN), which are
driven by the industry to meet their specific skill sets. Using this approach, the courses
can be designed to be tailored to the industry’s needs, thus increasing the marketability
of MSC holders
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Factors to Increase Community Participation in Green
Jobs
The main drivers and challenges for the implementation of green jobs obtained from
the survey and FGDs are shown in table below
Drivers Challenges
Profit Shortage of worker with relevant skills
and knowledge
Government policies/incentives and Lack of investment and financial
financial support for green projects support
Shortage of available training
Energy and resource conservation programmes
Competitive advantage/ community Uncertain demand from the market
recognition
Lack of a governing body to regulate
Talent pool supply and demand and promote green job
Technology gap
Most of the respondents agree that having awareness programmes to introduce green
jobs, government incentives and financial support for green jobs, demonstration of
successful green projects and publications on jobs related to green products/practices
and services were the main factors that can increase the awareness of green jobs.
Besides, awareness of green initiatives/practices among individuals and communities
is implemented through a sustainable development agenda in education. For example,
in primary and secondary education, aspects such as environmental conservation and
preservation, pollution reduction, and low-carbon societies have been addressed in
the education syllabus by the Ministry of Education. On top of learning the theory in
class, students get exposed to the practice through projects conducted by schools,
higher education institutions and local authorities (e.g., environmental camps, electric
saving projects, and carbon footprint calculation for school).
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As for tertiary education, one of the engineering undergraduate programme outcomes
required by the Engineering Accreditation Council specifically addresses the
environment and sustainability. Furthermore, local authorities and IHEs have also
organized sustainability programmes for the community. Examples include urban
farming with the community, water-saving projects, recycling projects, compost
projects, waste-cooking oil collection projects, used-clothes collection projects, and e-
waste collection projects.
In addition, one of the Department of Skills Development’s initiatives to raise employee
awareness of green jobs is to incorporate green-related NCS such as Green
Compliance into the NOSS-based courses. This can provide participants with early
exposure to green jobs and practices before they begin work.
To further increase community participation in green jobs, it is recommended that
community-wide introduction and awareness campaigns about green jobs be carried
out, as listed below:
Program Title Description
1) Green Pathways: The "Green Pathways" program aims to introduce
Nurturing Environmental students to the world of green jobs and careers in
Careers for Students sustainability. By providing insights, hands-on
experiences, and guidance, the program encourages
2) Industry Green Transition students to explore and pursue environmentally-focused
Initiative: Fostering Green professions.
Jobs and Sustainable The "Industry Green Transition Initiative" is designed to
Practices encourage industries to embrace sustainability, adopt
eco-friendly practices, and create green job opportunities.
3) Green Workforce This program aims to showcase the benefits of
Development Program: transitioning towards a greener business model and
Cultivating Talent for a promote collaboration between industries, governments,
Sustainable Future and environmental organizations.
The "Green Workforce Development Program" is
designed to address the growing need for skilled
professionals in various green industries. The program
aims to equip individuals with the necessary skills,
knowledge, and experience to pursue rewarding careers
in sustainability-focused sectors.
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Conclusions
As a conclusion, it can be said that the demand and supply for green jobs showed a
positive trend as well as the need for improvement in certain areas of interest. In terms
of demand, the results showed that it is expected to increase, with the energy,
transportation, and building sectors expecting to create 13,749, 92,937, and 90,304
green jobs, respectively. Based on the findings obtained through the survey and FGDs,
existing courses and programmes offered by TIs were found to be in alignment with
the current industrial demand, and among the various areas of competence, solar was
the most demanded. Moreover, the NOSS that covered area of competence of solar
also were already available. Besides, it was found that although TIs had the modules
to carry out green-related programmes and courses, their current infrastructure might
not be sufficient. They were still not ready for the next five years’ green job demand,
specifically for the transportation sector. With regard to the employability of MSC
holders, results showed that companies of all sizes did hire MSC holders. However,
some companies still lacked information on MSC certification for green jobs. Finally,
to raise the awareness of communities regarding green jobs, factors such as profit,
government incentives and support for green projects, energy and resource
conservation, and competitive advantage are among the main factors that could help
boost the level of awareness.
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