Grant for high-tech workers to further skills
He said the matching grant was a collaboration of the Human Resource Development (HRD) Corporation and the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) under the Advanced Technology Meister Programme.
'Through the initiative, employers can jointly develop training programmes with their chosen learning institutions, supported by funding from HRD Corp through the levy system and NCIA under the 12th Malaysia Plan.
'If a company wishes to develop their manpower skills, they may not only utilise the levy from HRD Corp but also use grants from NCIA to increase the allocation amount.
'This effort reflects our commitment to building a highly skilled workforce and achieving the national target of 30% skilled workers by 2030,' Sim told reporters after launching the northern region National Training Week (NTW) 2025 Learning Tour in Bayan Lepas yesterday.
Some 420 families of fishermen affected by the Silicon Island development project will also receive training to improve their career opportunities.
'The Training and Skills Enhancement Programme for families of fishermen and local communities is under the Focused Impact Training Initiative.
'A total of 420 participants from the community will receive training in various areas, including coxswain courses, site safety supervision, computer courses and safety officer certification.
'We want to ensure that families of fishermen are not left out of economic progress resulting from the Silicon Island development project by helping them secure high-impact employment opportunities, improve their income levels and uplift their socio-economic status,' he said.
Themed 'Learning Beyond Borders', he added that the NTW programme has recorded over 3.2 million enrolment, exceeding its initial target of one million.
He said the northern region alone has recorded more than 167,000 enrolment with almost 800 courses across Penang, Kedah and Perlis.
Separately, Sim confirmed that discussions were being finalised for the ministry to work with the Penang government to develop the Penang Chip Design Academy in Bayan Lepas.
'This is a state government project and we are in discussion to finalise the collaboration between the ministry and the academy.
'As it specialises in developing the semiconductor and high-tech sector in Penang, we wish to add value and collaborate to upgrade the skills training programmes.'
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