Government to set up National Employment Council chaired by PM

KUALA LUMPUR: The government will establish a National Employment Council which will coordinate various incentives initiatives cutting across ministries and agencies that create employment opportunities, skill enhancement and training for employees.

Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said the council would be chaired by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

“The Implementation and Coordination of National Agencies on the Economic Stimulus Package (Laksana) Unit will be responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of all these incentives to ensure Malaysians continue to receive employment opportunities,” he said when tabling Budget 2021 at the Dewan Rakyat today.

In addition, the government will allocate a total of RM1 billion for reskilling and upskilling programmes and focus on job matching and worker marketability next year, he said.

He added that through the programme, RM150 million will be allocated for the Ministry of Higher Education professional certification (KPT-PACE) that will benefit 50,000 new graduates.

The minister said graduates will be offered vouchers worth RM3,000 each to pursue a professional certification course at public and private universities.

The government will also allocate RM100 million to the Human Resources Development Fund to implement training in collaboration with private sector employers.

Allocation worth RM100 million will also be provided to the Malaysian Digital Economic Corporation (MDEC) to transition the existing workforce to fill the growing needs in the ICT industry.

“RM100 million will be given to regional development authorities, especially the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) and Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (SEDIA) with the aim of providing new skills to workers badly affected by the closure of borders to tourists.

“RM30 million will be given to the Armed Forces Affairs Corporation (Perhebat) for entrepreneurship training programmes that are expected to benefit over 12,000 Malaysian Armed Forces veterans,” he said.

Tengku Zafrul said the government will also introduce the Short-term Employment Programme or MySTEP that will offer 50,000 job opportunities on a contract basis in the public sector and Government Linked Companies (GLCs) beginning January next year.

The government will allocate RM700 million to the initiative, which will offer 35,000 job opportunities in the public sector, especially for the positions of nurses, medical attendants, social welfare officers and temporary teachers.

“Meanwhile, GLCs will offer 15,000 job opportunities that prioritise technical and financial fields as well as extending these opportunities to new graduates to participate in apprenticeship programmes,” he said.

-- BERNAMA