KUALA LUMPUR: The government yesterday announced an allocation of RM500 million towards the Skills Development Fund, aimed at enhancing skills, technical prowess, human capital and training in the workforce.
Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr S Subramaniam said through the fund, workers can apply for loans to undergo training at selected institutions which offered skills training.
“The move is to ensure that the current workforce can adopt ways and means to improve their skills and offer better service through training and education for a lifelong working culture.
“The RM500 million funds are allocated under the Tenth Malaysia Plan (RMK-10),” he told reporters after opening the 12th National Human Resources Summit here yesterday.
He said through a trained and skilled workforce, the country can progress towards becoming a high-income nation by 2020, as the workforce would be skillful, productive and efficient.
Meanwhile, Subramaniam said the unemployment rate in the country was not serious since only 3.2 per cent was recorded.
“Even then the issue is not about no jobs but jobseekers being selective because if there are no jobs how can we have 1.8 million foreign workers in the country? he asked. — Bernama