The training scheme introduced since 2011, with 45,000 graduates having secured jobs, aimed to assist underprivileged graduates from poor family background in the rural areas or urban poor.
SL1M head of the secretariat of the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) under the Prime Minister’s Department, Norashikin Ismail said all the graduates were from Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.
“I would like to reiterate the SL1M has successfully assisted thousands of graduates throughout the country in securing jobs, and we managed to save RM300 million in government fund, as the training program is fully borne by the participating establishments without involving the claimable training levy of the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF),” he said at a press conference after the launching of SL1M East-Malaysia level, here today.
The SL1M program was a collaboration between EPU and Labuan Financial Services Authority to encourage the private sector to contribute in the Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) project in enhancing the employability of the underprivileged graduates.
She urged corporate players to play role by participating in the program as the government has given the incentive of double tax deduction on allowances and training expenses incurred.
The minimum monthly allowance given to graduates is RM1,000 for a maximum period of one year training.
“The response is tremendous, the number should be more than we invited and some of them from rural areas of Keningau Sabah. However, we are unable to slot them into the list at present, and we are planning to have the second round of the program in collaboration with Labuan Corporation,” she said.
— BERNAMA
