Image credit: SME Entrepreneurship Magazine
PENAMPANG: A total of RM12 million has been allocated under the Tunas Usahawan Bumiputera (Tube) programme this year to continue SME Corp Malaysia’s commitment in promoting entrepreneurship among Bumiputera youth.
SME Corp Malaysia is an agency under the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives.
The Tube 11 Programme Launching Ceremony was inaugurated by Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick at the ITCC Mall, here, recently.
The basic entrepreneurship training programme, which aims to train 500 potential entrepreneurs this year, will begin in Sabah and subsequently be implemented in four other zones, namely Northern Zone, East Coast, Central/Southern and Sarawak.
The Tube Programme provides a Business Start-up Grant of up to RM15, 000 to each participant who successfully completes the training.
This year, the Tube 11 Programme has been enhanced with more dynamic training modules aligned with the latest developments in the entrepreneurial ecosystem through topics such as artificial intelligence, digitalisation and the implementation of Environmental, Social and Governance practices.
Participants who have completed the training and started their businesses will be continuously monitored to ensure that businesses, especially those that have been operating for more than two years, have the potential to grow from micro to small-sized enterprises.
Business counsellors consisting of SME Corp Malaysia officers are always ready to provide support to Tube 11 participants and Tube alumni.
“The Tube Programme aims to produce Bumiputera youth who are not just job seekers, but job creators through entrepreneurial activities,” said Ewon.
“This programme is not only important for reducing youth unemployment rates but also for producing more entrepreneurs who can create job opportunities for young people out there.
“Since its introduction in 2014, it has trained 8,543 youths, creating 15,872 job opportunities and recording a cumulative sales value of RM194 million,” he said.
He said his Ministry will propose that the Tube programme continues in the 13th Malaysia Plan with more focused improvements to increase program effectiveness and expand its reach to more Bumiputera youth throughout the country.
Present was SME Corp Malaysia Chairman Tan Seri Bernard Giluk Dompok.
“I see the Tube Programme as more than just providing entrepreneurship training because through it, all young entrepreneurs will have a community, the Tube alumni network, to support each other, exchange ideas, share experiences and build broader business networks,” he said in his welcoming speech.
Meanwhile, SME Corp Malaysia Chief Executive Officer Rizal Nainy said based on previous achievements, they are confident that Tube 11 will continue to be a key platform in developing Bumiputera youth entrepreneurs.
“We at SME Corp Malaysia are committed to ensuring participants receive continuous guidance, access to financing and business matching opportunities so they can compete at domestic and global levels,” he said.
To ensure Bumiputera youth receive continuous support, SME Corp Malaysia also provides various financing initiatives including Tunas-i, a Shariah-compliant financing for young entrepreneurs who want to start a business, Bumiputera MSMEs Financing Initiative (BMFI)@BEEP which helps Bumiputera businesses in capital and capacity expansion and the Bumiputera Export Promotion Programme (GEB) specifically for entrepreneurs to penetrate global markets through grant support and export training.
Source: https://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/253841/rm12-million-for-young-bumi-entrepreneurs/