This Spotlight is sponsored by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia.
Back in June, the government announced the Pelan Jana Semula Ekonomi Negara (PENJANA), an initiative to empower citizens, propel businesses, and stimulate the economy following the Movement Control Order (MCO)
As part of this initiative, RM100 million has been allocated to the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) or Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi (KPT) to carry out PENJANA-KPT-CAP, a Career Advancement Programme that focuses on reducing the unemployment rate for graduates.
This programme will be focusing on three main pillars—Job Matching & Placement, Entrepreneurship, and Gig Economy
Here’s what the three pillars entail:
– Job Matching & Placement: A competency training programme targeted towards individuals who are about to enter the workforce.
– Entrepreneurship: A training programme that targets the establishment of start-ups and enables them to get financial aid.
– Gig Economy: A competency training programme that aims to equip individuals to earn income through gig economy or freelancing activities.
MOHE is collaborating with companies in various industries to offer training courses for graduates, giving them exposure and experience, and guaranteeing them jobs in these selected industries
Companies that offer courses under PENJANA-KPT-CAP must issue a ‘Letter of Commitment’ (LOC) to participants, as a guarantee of a future job.
This means that those who are chosen to be part of PENJANA-KPT-CAP will immediately be offered a job as soon as they complete their respective programmes.
Their starting salaries is set at an estimated range of RM2,000 – RM2,500.
MOHE estimates that about 20,000 fresh grads will be eligible to receive benefits from this initiative
To make sure that the courses offered meet the required standards, MOHE has set certain criteria in place. For example, the courses must be high-impact programmes that add value to the graduates’ skills, in terms of both reskilling and upskilling.
At the end of the six-week programme, participants will receive an accredited certificate of competency from authorised agencies, with additional value for microcredentials.
Meanwhile, the teaching staff will be made up of 40% Institut Pengajian Tinggi (IPT) staff, and 60% of teaching staff from the relevant industries. At least 70% of the teaching will be carried out face-to-face.
PENJANA-KPT-CAP will consist of three modules—Soft Skills Module, Competency Certification, and Job Preparation
The Soft Skills Module is a week-long module to prepare participants for competency programmes. It covers topics like leadership and teamwork, problem-solving and decision-making, writing and presentation skills, communication skills, social media marketing, and more.
Meanwhile, Competency Certification is related to competency accreditation, and Job Preparation covers guidance and preparation for entering the job market.
To be eligible for this programme, you must be an IPT student who graduated in 2020 or has not yet got a job as of 2019
The programme will be carried out at the participants’ respective IPTs, or at a location close to their permanent residence. Each person is only allowed to take part in one programme. Those who would like to take more than one can do so, but will have to bear the costs themselves.
Public university graduates can apply for programmes offered by any host university, as long as those programmes meet the required criteria. The involvement of external public university students make up at least 20% of the total number of participants.
Interested in taking part in PENJANA-KPT-CAP? Applications can be made via the Great MOHE website.
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