More than 20,000 job opportunities by selected companies will be offered through the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) initiative under the short-term National Economic Recovery Plan (Penjana).
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan, who launched the Penjana HRDF initiative in Putrajaya on 22 June, said HRDF had previously aimed to provide 40,000 job opportunities in the near future to all Malaysians.
“By looking at today’s developments, I believe more jobs can be created through this initiative.
“I would like to urge more employers to collaborate under this Penjana HRDF initiative and for those who are unemployed or unemployed graduates, take this opportunity to find employment while improving skill sets to stay relevant in this increasingly challenging job market,” he said in his speech.
The Penjana HRDF initiative has successfully formed a joint venture with 10 organisations and associations representing their industries to provide job business opportunities together with training through five HRDF strategic initiatives.
The five initiatives are Place and Train, Upskilling and Reskilling, SME Development, B40 Development and Gerak Insan Gemilang (GIG).
Saravanan also stated that the initiatives would be utilised by people from all lifestyle ranging from high school graduates, unemployed graduates, retired workers, housewives and retirees.
Among the earliest organisations and companies that offer employment opportunities via the Penjana HRDF initiative are the National Tech Association of Malaysia, Tenaga Nasional Bhd, Brickfields Asia College Education Group, Malaysia Digital Economy Corp, 7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings Bhd, PersolKelly, the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, Grab Malaysia, AEON Co (M) Bhd, and Care Concierge Sdn Bhd.
For those applicants who are interested in seeking out a job or opportunity for upskilling and reskilling training through the Penjana HRDF initiative can sign up via Penjana HRDF portal.
Meanwhile, HRDF chairman Datuk Nelson Renganathan said the initiative can be counted as a win-win approach as it complements the needs of employers, employees and training providers.
“We thanked the government for trusting HRDF by allocating RM250 million (US$58.5 million) matching grants to be matched by HRDF, bringing in a total of RM500 million (US$116.9 million) to support this initiative that most Malaysians will benefit from.
“We are an institution in a hurry to prove that every cent that has been invested in us is put to good use,” he added.
On another note, Saravanan reiterated that foreign workers are not allowed to be employed by local employers until year-end.
“Let us see the status by yearend, whether we can assist the locals. Once we address the locals and there are no real takers (in jobs) then probably we will consider foreign workers. So now the job priorities will be given to locals in all sectors across the board,” he said.
He added that the government and employers need to find a win-win method in addressing and overcoming the country’s unemployment situation as it is a collective responsibility.
