He said the funding will be channelled through the Skills Development Fund Corporation (PTPK) to finance students wanting to pursue studies in the areas of energy transition, technology and digital, high-value electrical and electronics, agriculture, and rare earth elements.
“The fields involved include electric vehicles, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, advanced materials, electronic technology, farm mechanisation, and agricultural and livestock automation.
“Funding in these fields will encourage TVET institutions to develop training programmes in line with the government’s aim to strengthen high growth and value industries, in line with the national energy transition roadmap and the new industrial master plan 2030.
“This is to create high-impact job opportunities in line with the needs of industrial revolution 4.0, climate change and sustainability practices, demographic shifts, and the globalisation of value chains that change the nature of jobs and require a skilled workforce,” he said when launching the national TVET day celebration here today.
Deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the funding will be distributed to TVET institutions next month, based on the courses offered, aligning with the first intake of TVET students for this year.
“We hope that with this allocation, technical training in industries such as palm oil can commence next month, as the necessary infrastructure is already in place,” he said.
Meanwhile, on subsidies, Anwar said a targeted subsidy does not mean cancelling the subsidy for good.
“Previously, the rich also benefited from subsidies, but they are something the government should be giving to help the poor.
“No country in the world gives subsidies to the rich except us, hence now we have targeted subsidies,” he said.
He said diesel subsidies will be given to the poor, while the rich will not be eligible for them.
“We will manage to save around RM4 billion a year with targeted diesel subsidies,” he said.
Last month, Anwar announced that the Cabinet had finalised targeted diesel subsidies for the peninsula.
He said 10 types of public transport vehicles and 23 types of goods transport vehicles will be eligible.