Coursera 2024 Global Skills Report: Malaysian learners record 806% rise in GenAI enrollments

• Malaysia ranks 12th in skill proficiency in APAC and 4th in Southeast Asia
• Millennials lead GenAI adoption at 48%, followed by GenXers at 32% & GenZ at 16%

Ahead of AI Appreciation Day on 16 July, Coursera, one of the largest online learning platforms, unveiled insights for Malaysia from its 6th annual Global Skills Report, based on data from over 148 million global learners and leading economic indices. The report reveals an 806% year-over-year (YoY) increase in enrollments in Generative AI (GenAI) courses among Malaysian learners, highlighting their readiness to acquire GenAI skills.

It added that in the APAC region, Malaysia ranks 12th in skill proficiency, and in Southeast Asia, Malaysia ranks fourth, followed by Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Myanmar.

Supported by initiatives like the National AI Roadmap 2021-2025 and AI Talent Roadmap 2024-2033, Malaysia aims to strengthen its AI ecosystem through training and research collaborations. Key GenAI courses gaining popularity in Malaysia include Google Cloud's Introduction to Generative AI, Google AI Essentials, and Generative AI for Everyone by DeepLearning.AI. These courses underscore Malaysian learners' dedication to keeping pace with technological advancements, bolstering the nation's global digital competitiveness.

In Malaysia, GenAI adoption is generational with millennials leading the reskilling race at 48%, followed by GenXers at 32% and GenZ at 16%, the study indicated. This trend shows that middle to senior management is driving the initiative to reskill, as evidenced by significant enrollments in GenAI courses across various age groups and occupations: directors (25%), managerial leadership roles (22%), senior individual contributors (20%), junior individual contributors (18%), executive management (6%), and interns (5%). 

“The soaring demand for GenAI courses by Malaysian learners on Coursera underscores their resilience and forward-thinking spirit needed to thrive in a world driven by rapid technological shifts," said Raghav Gupta, managing director, Asia Pacific, Coursera. "As the GenAI revolution unfolds, it is impacting the ever-changing job landscape, emphasizing the need to invest in human capital. Malaysia showcases a robust synergy between industry, academia, and government to nurture the high-demand digital and human skills required to build a competitive and equitable workforce.”

Other findings for Malaysia include:

• Rising demand for industry micro-credentials for digital jobs: The report highlights a 97% YoY increase in enrollments for Professional Certificates among Malaysian learners, underscoring the trend that individuals are increasingly turning to online micro-credentials to secure new jobs and advance their careers. 
• Some of the most popular entry-level professional certificates among Malaysians on Coursera are Google Data Analytics, Google Project Management, Google Marketing & E-commerce.
•  Diverse and Inclusive Learning Demographics: Malaysia's learning community is impressively diverse and inclusive, with women constituting 46% of the total learner population.
• In STEM disciplines, women account for 34% of learners, highlighting their growing presence in traditionally male-dominated areas. However,  in GenAI-related courses,  men represent 71% of learners and women 29% of learners.

Coursera claims that it currently supports the skills development of 782,000 learners in Malaysia, who have enrolled in over 1.7 million Coursera courses as of March 2024. It added that more than 4,400 courses are now available in Simplified Chinese, including some of the most popular courses in Malaysia, such as Generative AI for Everyone from DeepLearning.AI, Programming for Everybody from the University of Michigan, and What is Data Science? from IBM.

Highlights from Global findings include:

• AI literacy emerges as a global imperative in the wake of ChatGPT. GenAI course enrollments on Coursera surged by 1,060% globally over the past year as learners sought foundational AI skills and enrolled in courses like “Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT” by Vanderbilt University and “Introduction to Generative AI” by Google Cloud.
• Micro-credentials continue to prepare learners for in-demand digital jobs Learners are increasingly turning to industry micro-credentials, including Professional Certificates, to gain essential digital skills for jobs. With 60% of workers requiring retraining by 2027, the need for accessible learning pathways is more pressing than ever. Coursera learners are enrolling in job-relevant Professional Certificates to prepare for in-demand roles, such as data analysts, project managers, and IT professionals.

To download the 2024 Coursera Global Skills Report, visit https://www.coursera.org/skills-reports/global