As Malaysia actively undergoes a digital transformation, with the digital economy expected to contribute 25.5% to its GDP by 2025, there is a significant opportunity for individuals interested in the tech industry. Job vacancies in this sector have shown a year-on-year increase of 29.3%. Responding to this demand, Rocket Academy, a live online coding boot camp originating from Singapore, has expanded its services to Kuala Lumpur. The aim is to support individuals looking to switch careers and technology enthusiasts in acquiring coding skills. The academy caters to a diverse audience, including recent graduates and experienced working adults. Additionally, it provides tech skills courses tailored for enterprises seeking to enhance the capabilities of their workforce.
Kai Yuan Neo, the CEO of Rocket Academy, highlighted an increasing demand for tech talent in Malaysia, leading to a shortage. The company aims to tackle this issue by initially focusing on training highly skilled software engineers. Emphasizing the close ties between Malaysia and Singapore, Neo expressed the hope that the lessons learned from training tech talent in Singapore would be applicable to Malaysia. The overarching objective is to contribute to the growth of a vibrant tech community in Malaysia. While Rocket Academy already offers a free introductory coding course, its inclusivity and scholarship program will grant a significant 70% discount on coding bootcamp fees to ten Malaysian applicants, supporting their career transition into becoming software engineers.
Nino Ulsamer, co-founder and CTO of Singaporean startup Stashaway, expresses a personal commitment to expanding their engineering hub in Kuala Lumpur and offering promising growth prospects to local talent. Despite this, Ulsamer notes the challenge of finding candidates who not only possess engineering skills but also have a strong understanding of product and business aspects. As a solution, the company is actively encouraging individuals transitioning from coding schools to apply for their job openings. Rocket Academy, which asserts having trained over 1,500 individuals in coding, highlights its role in facilitating more than 200 career transitions towards software engineering. The academy provides students with exclusive opportunities for networking with industry professionals and comprehensive resources for interview preparation.
