‘MAKE THE MOST OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES’

Youth must be bold to take advantage of jobs created by budget, urges PM

KUALA LUMPUR

PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak wants youth to take advantage of the improved employment opportunities created by the 2018 Budget.

He said creating jobs was among the main focus of the budget, which aimed to allow the people, especially youth, to fully benefit from the country’s economic growth.

He said Malaysia’s unemployment rate of 3.3 per cent this year was the lowest in the region, and the government aimed to create 3.3 million jobs by 2020.

“We have reached 69 per cent of the target and have created 2.26 million jobs.

“My advice to young people is to be bold and proactive in leaving your comfort zone. Take full advantage of the opportunities available to you,” he said in a blog post on www.najibrazak.com yesterday.

He said the government allocated RM1 billion in the 2018 Budget for projects in the five main economic corridors, such as the South Perak Development Project, Bukit Kayu Hitam Duty-Free Zone, the port and industrial park project in Tok Bali, Kelantan, and building access roads to Baleh Dam, Sarawak, which would create jobs in many sectors.

Besides that, he said, RM4.9 billion was also set aside to train more youth in technical and vocational skills to produce more highly- and semi-skilled workers.

He said there were many opportunities for youth and fresh graduates to venture into smalland medium-sized businesses through the government’s financial support, grants and loans.

“This is in line with the government’s aspiration to not only turn youth and fresh graduates into workers, but also into job creators by venturing into entrepreneurship.”

He said the implementation of marketability programmes, such as the 1Malaysia Training Scheme, was part of the government’s efforts to ensure there were jobs for university graduates. Bernama