SEGAMAT: Some RM10mil has been allocated this year for the Work-Based Learning (WBL) programme to assist 1,300 Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) personnel approaching retirement, says Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
The Defence Minister said the allocation for the intervention programme forms part of the ministry’s efforts to safeguard the welfare and livelihood of military veterans.
He added that the WBL programme enables the experience and expertise acquired by MAF personnel throughout their service to be formally assessed and recognised by higher education institutions.
Under the programme, personnel can be awarded diplomas aligned with their areas of expertise, including culinary arts, hospitality, sports coaching and management, without having to sit for formal examinations.
“Most personnel join the military with only the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) qualification.
“When they retire at the age of 41 or 42, they enter the job market with the same qualifications, making it difficult for them to compete for employment opportunities,” he told reporters after visiting the 4th Royal Artillery Regiment here yesterday.
Through the WBL programme, he said affected personnel will leave the service with at least a diploma, with the RM6,500 assessment cost per individual fully borne by the government.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled said the ministry has also revamped the transition training programme conducted by the Armed Forces Veterans Affairs Corporation (Perhebat) by aligning it more closely with industry requirements.
He said the move is intended to ensure that personnel completing the six-month transition training programme can be directly absorbed into suitable employment sectors without having to search for jobs on their own.
