KUALA LUMPUR (March 18): The Ministry of Human Resources announced that employers are now allowed to utilise up to 50% of their levy balance for the Industrial Training Scheme (ITS).
Furthermore, the ceiling limit for monthly internship allowances claimable for each intern under the ITS scheme has also been removed, said Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong.
ITS is a scheme under Human Resource Development Corp (HRD Corp) that enables employers to obtain financial assistance if they sponsor students from a university, college or training institution for practical training at their premises.
Previously, the financial assistance was limited to 20% of the employer's total levy balance at the time of the first application in the particular year.
“Employers can now use up to 50% of their levy balance for the payment of internship programmes in their respective companies.
“We want more companies to use their levy, as we see that industrial training is an important component in the skills training program,” Sim said at the launching of Industrial Training Matching Grant Initiative for Small and Medium Enterprises (LiKES) on Monday.
In addition, Sim said on-going engagements are being conducted to develop a national internship policy that will serve as a guideline for employers hiring interns.
According to him, Talent Corporation Malaysia Bhd (TalentCorp) as the ministry’s strategic think-tank will engage with the industry and academia to develop guidelines for employers to prioritise interns’ skill enhancement and welfare.
“These efforts will be reflected in the upcoming National HR Policy, enabling employers to responsibly manage their internship programmes," Sim added.