Gov't rebrands SL1M to empower youth with entrepreneurship skills

The rebranding of the 1Malaysia Training Scheme (SL1M) that was launched today will emphasise on creating entrepreneurs or job creators among the youth.

The "Professional Training and Education for Growing Entrepreneurs" (Protégé) programme is therefore slightly different than its precursor SL1M which emphasised on securing job opportunities for youths by enhancing their skills.

In officiating Protégé, Entrepreneur Development Minister Redzuan Yusof explained that youths needed such entrepreneur skills as companies were now hiring fewer workers in the current era of artificial intelligence amidst the fourth industrial revolution.

"As of December 2018, the SL1M programme had trained a total 226,251 people and 70 percent of the participants were offered a job while the balance 30 percent were not given jobs," he said.

This 30 percent group of participants will be provided with entrepreneur skills, he said.

“Hiring trends are getting worse as (you will) find people losing their jobs and not many companies like TNB will absorb fresh graduates probably due to financial constraints," he said.

"As such, we have to change the mindset of the youth so they are more courageous and creative (by taking up entrepreneurship)," he said.

Under the Protégé initiative, he said the ministry will explore entrepreneur potential so that the youth will be less dependent on the job market.

Beside exploring opportunities with government-linked companies (GLCs) and the private sector, he said the ministry would set its sights on opportunities abroad.

Currently, he said the ministry was cooperating with companies in China and Japan to place youth participants there to learn entrepreneurship skills.

Redzuan, who is also Bersatu supreme council member, said he wanted the country to achieve a 100 percent employment rate for fresh graduates in the country.  - Mkini