Rethinking Tech Education To Meet Industry Demands
Traditional tech education is lagging behind industry needs. Sigma School, a Malaysian startup, has set out to change this.
Welcome back to Heads Up, a newsletter powered by Disruptr. This week, we spoke to Deric Yee, a self-taught coder who co-founded Sigma School, in order to tackle an age-old problem, the lagging of tech education. As he commits not only change the scene to better meet industry needs, Deric is also committed to ensuring everyone that goes through this school ends up with a job.
Traditional tech education is lagging behind industry needs. Sigma School, a Malaysian startup, has set out to change this. By reimagining tech learning to include hands-on, real-world skills, Sigma is creating a pipeline of job-ready coders who can meet the demands of an ever-evolving tech landscape.
In today’s fast-paced tech industry, a chasm has emerged between what is taught in conventional tech programs and what the job market actually requires. While traditional education leans heavily on theory—think exams, quizzes, and textbooks—the demands of the tech industry are quite different.
Employers increasingly look for candidates with hands-on experience, ready to contribute on day one.
Malaysia’s projected economic growth next year faces challenges due to a widening skills gap, particularly within high-tech industries. The Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) has warned that, although the 2025 budget is comprehensive, a shortage of skilled workers in manufacturing and IT sectors could stifle this growth. This skills shortage may also impede Malaysia’s productivity over the long term and slow the adoption of new technologies.
Deputy Economy Minister Hanifah Hajar Taib reported a 37% rate of skills-related underemployment in the second quarter, while youth unemployment has remained steady at 10.6% since February, affecting 306,000 young people. The high youth unemployment rate highlights a mismatch between the skills that young workers possess and those required by the job market.
Companies like Nvidia Corp, Infineon Technologies, and Google, which have committed to investing in Malaysia, have echoed concerns over the shortage of qualified labor. In response, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has urged the private sector to work with government institutions to develop talent, emphasising the need for more targeted training to equip younger workers for high-tech roles.
Sigma School, a coding bootcamp based in Malaysia, has also recognised this disconnect and is taking a project-based approach to bridge it.
“We see the biggest gap as a lack of practical, hands-on experience,” explains Sigma’s founder, Deric Yee, a self-taught coder who has navigated the maze of tech learning and hiring firsthand.
“Many graduates leave with a good grasp of theory but limited exposure to real-world application. Employers today want proof of project-building experience and the confidence that these graduates can apply their knowledge. Yet, traditional curriculums rarely prioritize real-world projects,” he adds.
Sigma’s model flips this approach, putting real projects at the center of learning to cultivate both skill and confidence among students.
The Journey from Theory to Practice
Yee knows all too well the challenges of self-teaching in a structured field like programming. He recounts his own experience with trial and error: “I spent countless hours on tutorials and videos, learning languages like Python, Ruby, and JavaScript, only to find myself unable to build an application from scratch. I was stuck, often going back to copy-pasting solutions.” This hands-on struggle became a guiding principle in designing Sigma’s curriculum.
Students at Sigma spend 80% of their time coding, with the remaining 20% dedicated to learning “just enough” theory to support real-world applications. From day one, Sigma’s model emphasises creating and problem-solving.
For instance, students are tasked with recreating popular apps such as Instagram and Twitter. By tackling these projects, students build portfolios that showcase their skills and address the experience deficit that plagues many traditional tech graduates. “It’s like learning to swim,” he says. “You can watch hours of tutorials, but one hour in the water makes all the difference.”
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News Bites
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DCAP’s innovative use of AI, machine learning (ML), data analytics, and automation has been pivotal in bridging gaps in financial accessibility. The company’s AI/ML-powered Credit Scoring Model and Mobility Hire Purchase Lending solutions offer tailored and affordable financing options by seamlessly connecting financiers with borrowers through its proprietary tech-driven platform.
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The GreenTech Accelerator 2024 is the second edition of UOB FinLab’s six-month regional programme that enables ASEAN GreenTech firms to grow and transform, forge partnerships and create pilots to address sustainability challenges across the region. It is designed to fast-track the development of sustainable technology solutions in Singapore and across ASEAN. This year, 33 GreenTech firms were shortlisted from more than 350 applicants to participate in the programme, of which 12 firms are from Singapore, nine from Malaysia and 12 from Thailand.
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Khazanah launches Jelawang Capital As National Fund-Of-Funds To Accelerate Growth Of Malaysia’s Venture Capital Ecosystem
Khazanah Nasional Berhad (“Khazanah”) today launched the national fund-of-funds, Jelawang Capital Sdn Bhd (“Jelawang Capital”), following the consolidation of Malaysia Venture Capital Management and Penjana Kapital in July and pursuant to the announcement in YAB Prime Minister’s third MADANI Budget 2025 speech.
Khazanah Managing Director, Dato’ Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir said, “Jelawang Capital signifies our commitment to the growth of Malaysia’s venture capital (“VC”) ecosystem. Through this catalytic initiative, Jelawang Capital will continue to grow Malaysian fund managers while crowding-in regional fund managers with expertise and capital.”
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