Malaysia announces RM100 million in training and salary incentives
- Claire Lee
Malaysia has announced a RM100 million (US$24.14 million) initiative to help reskill and upskill Malaysians for jobs in the digital economy.
The initiative, by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), is aimed at boosting the digital business industry and to nurture quality tech talent. It aims to create some 6,000 job opportunities, with at least 1,000 quality tech talent. Over 300 firms within the sector are expected to benefit.
The programme comprises two main components, the Digital Business Services (DBS) and Digital Tech Apprenticeship (DTA) initiatives.
DBS incentivises businesses hiring fresh graduates and unemployed citizens for digital business service roles, with a minimum incentive between RM9,800 (US$2,375) and RM20,600 (US$4,980) per worker.
DTA is targeted at businesses hiring unemployed Malaysians for high demand tech jobs in sectors like Data Science, Software Development and Cybersecurity, offering an incentive package of RM15,200 (US$3,679) per employee.
READ: Malaysia’s unemployment rate expected to ease to 4.3% in 2021
“The Government is cognisant of the challenges brought about by the pandemic and today’s announcement is a testament of our continued effort to not only sustain the tech industry but also serves as a boost to increase our capabilities and capacities, to enable the digital business industry to survive and thrive,” said Saifuddin Abdullah, Minister of Communications and Multimedia.
