PUTRAJAYA - Students undergoing industrial training at government offices and government-linked companies (GLCs) will be given an apprenticeship allowance of at least RM800 a month, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Speaking at the Budget 2024 Engagement Session here today, Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the ministry had decided that all GLCs would make the payment to ease the burden of students from poor families.
"I want to make an appeal to companies out there who take in industrial trainees. So for a start, interns don’t get any payments; that is correct and for exposure.
"But some of them are from poor families, and in fact during several of my dialogues at universities, they appealed, having finished their studies, no more loans and assistance from the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN).
"To set a good example, the Finance Ministry has decided as a policy that all GLCs taking in students for practical or industrial training should pay a minimum of RM800 in apprenticeship allowance.
"So, for the government and GLCs, a minimum apprenticeship allowance of RM800 a month for all interns,” he added.
He also asked GLCs to offer jobs to graduates of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes.
"I ask all GLCs to give periodic reports on the number they have hired to ensure we can meet our target of having 35,000 jobs,” he said.
Anwar also said Bank Simpanan Nasional would launch the Digitalisation Matching Grant for Micro, Small and Medium Industries Programme with an allocation of RM100 million in August this year.
"A sum of allocation is dedicated to encouraging petty traders to be active in digital marketing and subscribing to digital applications, business like Point of Sale system, accounting and inventory management,” he said.
On another subject, Anwar said an announcement on a new approach to boost the country’s productivity in padi and rice will be made during his visit to Kedah tomorrow.
"As long as we use the same technology, same approach, the amount of subsidies for poor people will have to be shouldered for decades.
"So there will be a new approach to ensure an increase in the country’s padi and rice productivity,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan told a press conference after the engagement session that the government hoped GLCs could implement the RM800 apprenticeship allowance immediately.
He said the allowance could help trainees meet the costs of transportation and accommodation and would not have a major financial impact on the GLCs.
"We hope GLCs can implement it immediately but for other companies like those in the private sector, we wait for the budget (2024) announcement later," he said. - Bernama