Ingenieur Vol 63 Ingenieur Vol 63 2015 | Page 59

Proton Test Drive Cars (left to right; Suprima S, Persona SV, Prevé CFE, Exora Bold CFE) in Glenmarie, Malaysia" by Aero7. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 my via Wikimedia Commons with good salaries. The importance of human capital development cannot be undervalued. The availability of highly skilled and technically competent manpower is a key factor in enhancing the competitiveness of the local automotive industry. The NAP 2014 predicts the industry will create an additional 150,000 job opportunities by year 2020. The lack of skilled and competent manpower will jeopardize the vision of transforming Malaysia into a hub for EEVs by 2020. A talent pool is also one of the major criteria in attracting foreign investment into the country. Without the existence of a talent pool of highly skilled workers, the automotive industry would not be able to support the implementation of the NAP 2014. The MAHR focuses on: ●● Detailing the on-going development of human capital in the automotive industry at all levels from 2014 to 2020 to realize the target set in the NAP 2014. ●● Improving the quality of existing Human Capital Development programmes at all levels. ●● Outlining the implementation plan to create specialized automotive industry talents in critical areas, for example hybrid components for engines and transmissions. ●● Training competent workforces with various skills and ready for process automation to reduce dependency on unskilled foreign workers and help create skilled local workforces with high incomes. Figure 1 depicts the entire automotive ecosystem. The Original Equipment Manufacturers, (OEMs), are the key players in the structure producing the end product for the market. The 57