KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has identified 12 high-demand occupations in the data centre sector as the government steps up efforts to equip local talent with the specialised skills needed to benefit from growing investments in the industry.

In a parliamentary response to Bandar Tun Razak MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the Human Resources Ministry (KESUMA) said data centres are capital-intensive investments, with a substantial proportion of investment value allocated to high-quality equipment, electrical infrastructure and cooling systems.

As a result, the number of direct jobs created does not necessarily increase in proportion to the total investment value announced, although most positions in the sector are high-value jobs requiring specialised technical skills.

However, the ministry did not provide a specific figure for the number of high-skilled jobs actually created for Malaysians or a breakdown of employment against the total value of data centre investments.

To ensure that local workers can fill these positions, KESUMA, through Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp) and its MyMahir Future Skills Talent Council (FSTC), organised data centre sector workshops in May and October 2025 with industry players.

The workshops aimed to map skills requirements across the data centre lifecycle, identify occupations facing high demand, and determine the qualifications and training periods needed to prepare local talent for available opportunities.

The findings identified five phases in the data centre lifecycle: planning, design, construction and transition, operations and maintenance, and evaluation. Construction and transition, along with operations and maintenance, were highlighted as the main areas of workforce demand and skills development.

The 12 occupations identified as facing high demand and requiring urgent recruitment include electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, IT project managers, commissioning engineers, solutions architects, network security engineers, facility managers, data centre technicians, facility technicians and chargemen.

In terms of qualifications, eight of the 12 roles require a degree, one requires a diploma, two require Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) qualifications, while the chargeman position requires a Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) and a minimum B4 competency certificate from the Energy Commission.

The ministry said the findings demonstrate that high-value employment opportunities in the data centre industry are available not only to university graduates but also to graduates of local TVET institutions.

KESUMA, through TalentCorp, will continue to strengthen the employability of Malaysian talent through targeted skills enhancement programmes to ensure local workers are equipped to meet the industry’s evolving workforce needs.