HRDF approved more than one million training places
KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) approved almost RM700 million financial assistance to support 1.04 million training places, registering a growth of 18 per cent from 2018.
The fund also increased the total certification programmes approved by 17.7 per cent to 51,193 training places.
HRDF as an agency under the Ministry of Human Resources continues to play a pivotal role in nurturing Malaysian talent through skills’ development and capacity building programmes, aligned to its mandate given by the Malaysian Government.
In its efforts to strengthen governance, transparency and enforcement, the Fund increased its enforcement visits almost tenfold from 552 in 2018 to 5,466 last year. The Fund also expanded its coverage to 29,701 employers, serving 2.43 million employees.
“I am pleased to share that due to the processes we have put in place to strengthen our governance and operations, the Fund has witnessed tremendous growth and we remain commi ed in supporting the nation’s human capital development,” said Datuk Noor Farida Mohd Ariffin, chairman of the board of HRDF yesterday.
In Budget 2020, the Malaysian government allocated RM30 million to HRDF for up-skilling Malaysian youth from the lower income families through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
A further RM20 million on a matching basis was also allocated to HRDF to up-skill Malaysians in IR4.0 industry recognised certifications. HRDF will soon announce the programmes under these budget allocations.
This year, HRDF plans to approve 1.25 million training places, an increase of 20 per cent from last year. Similarly, the Fund aims to approve 60,000 training places for industry certification programmes in 2020.
To achieve these targets and provide exceptional service in line with its core values and promise to its customers and stakeholders, HRDF will increase its engagement activities and visits, improve the speed of delivery and IT system.
HRDF is also looking forward to expanding the coverage of the Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad Act 2001 (PSMB Act 2001) and serve a much higher percentage of the Malaysian workforce who could benefit from the schemes and initiatives under the Fund.
To assist employers make informed choices about training programmes for their employees, HRDF will be introducing the HRDF Learning and Training Hub (LATiH), an online marketplace for training.