Socso confident of new job placements for 180,000 people

KUALA LUMPUR: The Social Security Organisation (Socso) is confident of achieving 180,000 new job placements while retaining 2.5 million employed workers through the implementation of several initiatives under the National People's Well-being and Economic Recovery Package (PEMULIH) until Dec 31.

Socso chief executive Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said it would continue to strengthen efforts to organise programmes offering employments, including increasing the number of open interviews, to ensure its new job placement target could be achieved.

"Socso has conducted 1,168 online interview programmes this year while 950 more interview programmes are expected to be implemented virtually and physically until December. Focus is given to virtual interviews until physical interviews are permitted," he told a virtual media conference today.

According to him, through Socso's Public Employment Services, numerous programmes and initiatives had been drafted for the second half of the year, with the aim of providing more access to job seekers in the town and rural areas.

"Among the major programmes mooted include the setting up of the MYFutureJobs Satellite Centres at universities and selected locations through co-operation with state governments as well as in the 54 Socso offices nationwide.

"In addition, access to MYFutureJobs is further expanded with the co-operation of the Community Internet Centres under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and the Rural Community Centres under the Rural Development Ministry," he said.

Mohammed Azman also said that over 231,000 job vacancies were available on the MYFutureJobs portal and, in a bid to encourage job seekers from among non-Socso contributors to look for jobs and attend interviews, a RM300 allowance would be provided when they attend three job interviews in a month within a two month period.

"They will also receive a RM400 incentive when they are employed. The incentive, via Jobseeking Allowance (SIP Prihatin 2.0) is expected to benefit 229,000 jobseekers," he said.

He said the Recruitment Incentive too had been extended through the CareerGeneration Programme 3.0 with the aim of continuing to encourage the creation of new jobs, where employers qualify for a 40 to 60 per cent subsidy from the pay given to a worker for a six-month period.

"Training costs of up to RM7,000 are also provided for workers recruited, including school-leavers and new graduates and vulnerable groups, including elderly workers, persons with disabilities (PwD), single mothers and ex-prisoners.

"Candidates who are hired qualify for a one-off mobility allowance of up to RM1,000 when they attend training programmes, including professional certification courses picked by the employers," he said.

He also said that the CareerGeneration Programme 3.0 also relaxed the contract period from 12 months to six months for job seekers over the age of 50, PwD and former convicts.

He said that to encourage employers to hire more locals for jobs normally filled by foreign nationals, the CareerGeneration Programme 3.0 also relaxed the minimum wage requirement under the Malaysianisation Programme from RM1,500 to RM1,200 a month.

To empower the delivery of employment services, the government also provides incentives for private employment agencies registered with the Department of Labour of Peninsular Malaysia of up to RM300 for every job placement for individuals who lost their jobs, graduates and school leavers.

"It is hoped that the incentive will encourage the involvement of private agencies and further boost the process of placing individuals who have lost their jobs into the labour market," he said.

On June 28, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced the PEMULIH package worth RM150 billion, comprising the government's direct fiscal injection of RM10 billion aimed at providing comprehensive aid to the people which focused on three main areas, namely, Continuing the People's Welfare Agenda, Supporting Businesses and Increasing Vaccinations.

-- BERNAMA