Human Resources Ministry launches schemes focusing on job placement, self-employment

KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Resources Ministry has introduced three schemes that focus on job placement and self-employment, said its Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.

Launched through Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad (PSMB), he said the three schemes were the Place and Train scheme, B40 Development scheme and Gerak Insan Gemilang (GIG) scheme.

Saravanan said the main objective of the initiative under the National Economic Recovery Plan (PENJANA) is to support the government’s aspirations and the recovery of the country’s economy affected by COVID-19.

“A total of RM500 million (RM250 million from government funds and RM250 million from the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) levy) has been allocated for the implementation of the initiatives.

“So far, PSMB has received an allocation of RM100 million from the government and it has been fully spent,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He said this in response to a question from M. Kulasegaran (PH-Ipoh Barat) on the number of workers being trained and had secured jobs through PSMB as well as the list of employers and training centres which had received the grant from PSMB.

Saravanan said as of Oct 16, PSMB has approved 35,938 trainees to take part in the schemes.

“Of the total, 6,567 trainees have finished their training and managed to secure work placements or are now self-employed.

“Under the schemes, 285 training centres have been approved with Selangor being the highest number of training providers at 41.1 per cent followed by Kuala Lumpur (31.6 per cent), Penang (4.9 per cent) and Sabah (4.9 per cent),” he said.

In detailing the breakdown of training centres based on the schemes’ approval, Saravanan said the Place and Train Scheme recorded the highest number of approval with 200 training centres, followed by the GIG scheme (58) and the B40 Development scheme (3).

He said 397 employers have been approved under the Place and Train scheme, with 97 per cent of them were from the services sector while the remaining three percent were from the manufacturing.

-- BERNAMA