KUALA LUMPUR - To ensure youths, especially those in rural areas, have the opportunity to improve their living standard, the Rural and Regional Development Ministry (KKDW) has set entrepreneurship empowerment via Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as one of its focal areas.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said KKDW would work with 12 other ministries to achieve the mission.
"We don’t move in silos, instead we are working with relevant ministries and will focus on empowering entrepreneurship courses through TVET. We will also work with financial institutions for financing purposes,” he said during a question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said this in response to a question from Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad (BN-Parit Sulong) about the changes made to the Ministry to make it youth-friendly and concerned with issues related to the interests and development of rural communities.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said several initiatives were also implemented, including introducing the Right Start Programme (PSR) as well as carrying out reforms to empower TVET.
According to Ahmad Zahid, KKDM had also launched a number of programmes, including the Junior TVET Programme, High-Level TVET Programme, Technopreneur TVET Programme and Tahfiz TVET Programme to dignify the image of TVET in the country and meet industrial demands.
He said that the high marketability rate of TVET graduates, which was at 90.4 per cent proved that the courses were able to meet labour market requirements.
Meanwhile, in reply to a supplementary question from Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (PN-Kuala Krai) on the abandoned outdoor futsal court, Ahmad Zahid said any Member of Parliament can directly submit an application to his ministry so that repair work can be done.
"This is done in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and MPs regardless of their political affiliation can apply directly to me to upgrade (the facility), the unity government will treat all parties equally," he said.
In the meantime, Ahmad Zahid said there has been a trend of remigration to rural areas among the third generation of rural communities.
He said this has been proven by the development of agriculture-based industries in response to the food security crisis by the generation in rural areas.
"This is a new trend and KKDW will work with several agencies, including Felcra, Risda and MARA to address the issue," he said when replying to a supplementary question from Oscar Ling Chai Yew (PH-Sibu) about the government's efforts in encouraging rural youth to return to their respective home villages.
Earlier, when replying to the original question from Datuk Dr Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh (PN-Pasir Puteh) on the ministry's short-term measures for rural rejuvenation and social engineering to reduce the cost of living, Ahmad Zahid said 22 quick-win programmes and 16 game-changer programmes will be implemented to boost the rural economy.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid when speaking at a press conference at Parliament building, said a total of 529 TVET courses that are tailored to meet labour market requirements were offered at 1,259 TVET institutions.
He said more TVET courses in high-impact fields such as aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul will also be offered to create more job opportunities for rural youths. - BERNAMA