Skilled Workers To Train The Unskilled, Says Subramaniam

JOHOR BAHARU, Aug 6 (Bernama) -- The government has introduced on-the-job training for unskilled workers in the small- and medium-scale enterprise (SME) sector, Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S.Subramaniam said Thursday.

Under the On-the-Job Training (OJT)scheme carried out by Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad (PSMB), an agency under the ministry, unskilled or new workers would work alongside skilled workers or supervisors.

"Working skills acquired through this means is the precursor for trainees to continue in skills upgrading to attain higher accredited skills competency," he said when opening a training fair organised by PSMB here.

He said the agency introduced the SME OJT scheme to help the SMEs to train workers and minimise disruption involved in sending a worker for external training.

"Under the scheme, an employer will be given financial assistance up to the rate of RM5 per hour per tr ainee for OJT training involving less than five employees per group," he said.

Dr Subramaniam said the government, through PSMB, had also allocated training incentives to encourage small employers to systematically retrain and upgrade the skills of their employees.

A training incentive of RM1 for every RM1 spent on training and skills upgrading would be provided for small employers who are registered under the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF).

"This incentive will be especially useful to small employers who have zero or insufficient levy as they can continue to conduct training under the Prolus Scheme.

"As incentive is given, their training initiative will not be hampered due to insufficient levy balances," he said, adding that the incentive took effect for training programmes that commenced on May 1.

Under the Prolus or Approved Training Programme (ATP) scheme, the training providers must register with PSMB and the training programmes offered must have been granted ATP status.

Dr Subramaniam said many small employers were expected to reap the benefit of having additional funds for training and thus would be able to send more employees for various approved training programmes.

-- BERNAMA