Future of Work Conference organized by TalentCorp

AMCHAM was delighted to see several of our members contributing to the Future of Work Conference organized by TalentCorp at the Shangri-La Hotel in Kuala Lumpur on Monday 20th November 2017.

Shareen Shariza Dato’ Abdul Ghani set the tone for her conference in her opening remarks, emphasizing how 50% of today’s primary school children will grow up to work in jobs that do not currently exist. The disruption of the digital age (including automation, AI, robotics) will have a profound effect on the workforce and, if managed properly, can become a source of greater freedom of choice.

Dato’ Haji Abdul Rahman Dahlan, Malaysian Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Economic Planning Unit, likewise emphasized how with the coming of Industry 4.0, national competitiveness will be determined more by “demographic quality” rather than “demographic quantity”. Semi-skilled jobs are particularly at risk, and the Minister outlined a range of measures being taken by the government to help Malaysians prepare for the digital era and ensure that the country is ready to capitalize on new opportunities over the coming decades.

Keynote speakers included Prof. Andrew McAfee, Co-founder and Co-director of MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy who sought to debunk traditional business advice that has become irrelevant due to technological progress, and Sir Ken Robinson, the British education and creativity expert who laid out his vision for a more holistic approach to children’s education to prepare them to meet the challenges of the modern work environment.

We were particularly pleased to witness several AMCHAM members contributing to this important discussion. TalentCorp released the results of the ‘Life At Work Survey 2017’ conducted in partnership with Ernst & Young. Ms. Sumitra Nair, Vice President for Talent & Digital Entrepreneurship at the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), chaired a panel discussion into ‘the disappearing office’ that also included Ms. Chong Chye Neo, Managing Director of IBM Malaysia. Microsoft supported the UN’s Universal Children’s Day by hosting a special discussion with six tech-savvy primary schoolers to gain their perspective on how technology should be used in the future.

AMCHAM members also featured prominently in the ‘Life At Work Awards 2017’ which celebrate companies that implement flexible and inclusive workplace strategies aligned to ‘the future of work’. CIMB Group won the award for Best Malaysian Organisation, and PwC Malaysia were recognized as Best International Organisation. Wong & Partners also received a special mention for enabling their employees to continuing working beyond retirement age.