- Youth gained exposure to digital skills & basic AI knowledge
- Workshop aims to enhance individuals’ digital skills for improved career prospects
MY E.G. Services Berhad (MyEG) has collaborated with Yayasan Chow Kit (YCK) to foster digital inclusivity for marginalised youth in and around Chow Kit area in Kuala Lumpur.
In a statement, the leading e-government service provider mentioned, “In collaboration with YCK, we have conducted a Digital Literacy Workshop for youth aged 13-17 years old, aimed at empowering them with essential digital skills and basic artificial intelligence (AI) knowledge.
The workshop covered topics such as safe internet practices, information evaluation, and the creation and sharing of digital content. The curriculum was tailored to be simple to comprehend, ensuring that participants could easily grasp complex concepts such as cybersecurity, digital ethics, and the basics of AI, sparking an early interest in technology for future learning.
The goal of the workshop is to prepare and upskill young individuals from different backgrounds with fundamental digital knowledge and skills, enhancing their career prospects, while fostering personal growth and development. This effort also plays a vital role in safeguarding these youth from rising cyber threats, such as scams and fraud, ensuring their safety and contributing to their competence as digital citizens in the Web3 era.
According to a study conducted by McKinsey & Co, AI is anticipated to contribute up to US$13 trillion (RM62.24 trillion) to the global GDP by 2030, with the majority of these economic gains stemming from advancements in the workforce. The study highlights that AI is poised to generate new jobs, particularly in high-skilled sectors such as engineering, healthcare, and data science.
Mohd Rushdan Khairul Anuar, IT director of MyEg expressed “We aim to help digitalise government services and build next generation applications with AI and blockchain technology. As we make technology an integral part of our daily lives, we want to help bright young minds from different backgrounds gain access to the same digital knowledge as everyone else. Additionally, we are here to provide the necessary tools and support to help level the playing field so that every child can develop the skills they need to navigate the future.”
Meanwhile, Jamil Ishak, Programme coordinator at YCK”Education emphasised that education is the key to progress and the most powerful tool we have for making a meaningful impact on the world.
“We appreciate MyEg’s support in delivering this workshop, to equip our youth with fundamental digital competencies. We understand that these fundamental skills are not just for navigating the current digital landscape, but are instrumental to their future success in an increasingly digitised global economy,” he added.
While Malaysia has made progress in fostering digital inclusion, with increased household internet access, the e-Conomy Southeast Asia (SEA) 2023 report warns of a potential widening of the digital economic divide, posing a risk to consumer engagement in the digital economy across various sectors. To address this, the Malaysian government is measuring and tackling the digital divide through initiatives like the Malaysia Digital Inclusiveness Index and programmes to enhance digital literacy and accessibility for marginalised populations.
These efforts are essential for Malaysia to unlock the full scope of its digital economic growth, estimated at a US$30 billion (RM140.5 billion) Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) by 2025 according to the report.