PETALING JAYA: A targeted skills development initiative is being rolled out to expand access to structured training and employment opportunities for the Malaysian Indian community, says Datuk Seri R. Ramanan.
The Human Resources Minister said the Vetri Madani programme under the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) has received RM10mil in government funds and is expected to benefit its 2,000 participants nationwide.
As of now, he said, its focus is trained on two-segment of the community: jobseekers and those looking into equipping themselves with new skills.
Ramanan, who was present at the programme’s launch in Brickfields in conjunction with the Vetri Madani Carnival there, said it centred on skills enhancement, career mobility and workforce readiness.
“For the existing workforce or those with jobs, the programme provides the opportunity to upskill too. For example, a person with a full-time job as an e-hailing driver can join this programme to learn new skills,” he said.
“For those looking for jobs, the programme will help in equipping them with the skills needed by the industries, giving them the competitive edge in the job market.”
Ramanan said the initiative reflects the government’s continued focus on ensuring that skills development translates into real opportunities for the people.
“This is about creating real opportunities to transform lives. Vetri Madani is designed to ensure that more Malaysians, particularly from the Indian community, have access to skills that can improve their employability and future prospects.”
Ramanan said the programme prioritised high-demand and future-oriented sectors such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data and cloud technologies, automation, robotics and advanced engineering.
“Training will be delivered through HRD Corp’s network of registered training providers, in collaboration with industry partners and state-level skills development centres,” he said.
“A flexible delivery model, combining physical and hybrid learning approaches, will be adopted to improve accessibility and participation.”
HRD Corp chief executive Datuk Shamir Aziz, said the focus was on ensuring that training leads to measurable outcomes.
“Building on the progress achieved through the Malaysian Indian Skills Initiative (Misi), with 8,719 Malaysian Indians trained from 2024 to 2025, Vetri Madani represents the next phase in strengthening our support for the Malaysian Indian community through skills development,” said Shamir.
