RM6 billion worth of jobs expected in Penang construction boom

• Construction and renovation industry in Penang to generate RM6 billion worth of jobs over the next 8 years
• New residential and commercial schemes drive industry growth

For the future graduate workforce, especially from the engineering, geology and architecture fields,this is good news. According to Institute of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) the country would need about 200,000 engineers by 2020.

Penang will need more engineers over the next 8 years. This is caused by the new residential and commercial schemes that take seven to eight and three to four years to complete, respectively.

Commercial projects are estimated to produce RM477 million worth of construction and renovation jobs. Last year, construction jobs in Penang reached a value of RM4.4 billion. This year, value of construction jobs is expected to grow by a single-digit percentage.

Likewise, geologists will be increasingly important to avoid man-made disasters and make projects more cost-efficient. Geological surveys are essential in major construction projects including underground excavations and skycrapers.