103,183 Undergraduates, Graduates Took Part In PROTEGE Programme - Ewon

KOTA KINABALU, June 29 (Bernama) -- A total of 103,183 undergraduates and graduates have participated in various entrepreneurship and marketability programmes under the Professional Training and Education for Growing Entrepreneurs (PROTÉGÉ) initiative since it was introduced under the 12th Malaysia Plan.

Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick said PROTÉGÉ was among his ministry’s strategic initiatives to empower youth and graduates, particularly in Sabah, to better prepare for the job market and create their own economic opportunities.

“This programme is designed to produce graduates who are not only competitive but also ready to pursue entrepreneurship as their main career,” he said when officiating the closing ceremony of the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development’s (KUSKOP) Borneo Zone (Sabah) PROTÉGÉ Carnival 2025 at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sabah Branch here today.

Ewon said that based on the PROTÉGÉ Impact Study for 2021 to 2023, 55.2 per cent of the 599 respondents successfully gained access to digital marketing, financing and business guidance and subsequently created new job opportunities.

“Therefore, I encourage every graduate and student to change their mindset from seeking employment to creating it by choosing entrepreneurship as a viable career option,” he said.

Ewon explained that in line with the government’s aspiration to strengthen Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), KUSKOP had established strategic collaborations with the TVET lead ministry and industry players to offer dedicated entrepreneurship modules for trainees.

The carnival is the second of four series of events scheduled for 2025 as part of KUSKOP’s strategic initiative to empower youth and graduates, particularly in Sabah, in the areas of entrepreneurship and marketability.

In addition to UiTM, participating institutions included Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara (IKBN) Kinarut, Kota Kinabalu Polytechnic, Penampang Community College and North Borneo University College (NBUC).

--BERNAMA