NATIONAL ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN (PENJANA)

PENJANA: Grab opportunities to boost skills for better marketability

10/06/2020 12:07 AM

KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 -- The National Economic Recovery Plan (PENJANA) is seen set to empower existing training and skills upgrading programmes, and simultaneously capable of helping to reduce the unemployment rate in the country.

With an allocation of RM2 billion, PENJANA is also seen as capable of enhancing the capability of the skills programmes by providing new skills that meet the demands of the job market and industry.

As such, Malaysian Youth Council president Jufitri Joha hoped the funding could leverage existing training and skills programmes, to be more balanced and cover the areas of 'hard skill' and 'soft skill'.

“Skills programmes specifically for the unemployed are either upskilling or reskilling and are important for the unemployed to upgrade existing skills or learn other skills to venture into the new job world. It really helps to add value to the unemployed.

"Digital-related skills programmes such as e-sports, graphic design, video-making and streamers should be given attention as it has been proven that the industry was not affected by the Movement Control Order (MCO) but has become an important industry," he told Bernama.

Jufitri also called on youths, especially the unemployed, to seize the opportunity and prepare themselves with a varied and new skills in the face of uncertain economic challenges following the COVID-19 outbreak.

He said mastering a wide range of skills was particularly useful in the short-term or gig economy which was increasingly getting attention.

“Youths should take this opportunity and implement their own initiatives to enhance their knowledge, skills and networks in these challenging times. Learn more about the many soft skills offered online.

"It is important for youths to equip themselves with as many skills as possible as the present and future employers need multi-skilled workers and can do a variety of jobs," he said.

On Friday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced PENJANA and allocated RM2 billion to implement training and skills boosting programmes which wold benefit 2,000 unemployed graduates.

Through the initiative, the government provided matching funds of up to RM250 million to fund training and placement programmes and other programmes in collaboration with Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad Berhad (PSMB) and to strengthen the Professional Training and Education programmes, PROTEGE.

The Government would also optimise the use of public skills training institutions such as community colleges, National Youth Skills Institute and industrial training institutes nationwide while supporting the Securities Industry Development Corporation (SIDC) Programme.

To enhance skills for the unemployed, the government would also implement public and private partnerships to enhance skills in industries such as electrical and electronic (E&E) and information and communication (ICT) technologies; strengthen entrepreneurship training; promote short-term courses at local universities for the unemployed and offer a marketing representative training scheme of up to RM800 a person by registering with SIDC.

-- BERNAMA


 

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