Dept. Of Polytechnic Education Signs Up To Structured Internship Programme

PUTRAJAYA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2015 – The Department of Polytechnic Education (DPE) and Talent Corporation Berhad (TalentCorp) have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) that will give polytechnic students across Malaysia access to TalentCorp’s Structured Internship Programme (SIP). 

The LOI was signed by the Director General of the Department of Polytechnic Education, YBhg. Datuk Haji Mohlis bin Jaafar, and Chief Executive Officer of TalentCorp, Johan Mahmood Merican.

Introduced in 2012 to nurture highly-skilled human capital in support of the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), the SIP is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) and TalentCorp which aims to give students practical work experience with leading employers, preparing them for a smooth transition from academia to work. The SIP focuses on helping students develop industry-ready and industry-specific knowledge and skills, meeting the needs of companies and ensuring that an increasing number of graduates find jobs when they complete higher education.

The first six polytechnics to participate in the SIP are Politeknik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah in Selangor; Politeknik Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah in Jitra, Kedah; Politeknik Merlimau in Melaka; Politeknik Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin in Dungun, Terengganu; Politeknik Kota Kinabalu in Sabah and Politeknik Kuching, Sarawak. 

TalentCorp’s Johan Mahmood Merican said: “We are optimistic that the partnership with the DPE will serve as a catalyst for greater collaborative opportunities between the private sector and academia. Industry-academia collaboration is a vital component of Malaysia’s economic development plans, and will enable even more of Malaysia’s talented young people to learn and develop the skills they need to succeed in today’s workforce.”

The importance of a holistic internship experience was highlighted during the announcement of Budget 2015 by the Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak. Key Budget 2015 measures include providing more talent with industry exposure by incentivising employers that provide structured internships to students pursuing diploma and equivalent vocational certifications. 

TalentCorp has been working closely with leading employers in key industries across Malaysia to develop structured internship programmes that facilitate learning and the transfer of skills. In 2014, SIP successfully placed almost 13,000 students in leading companies, giving students meaningful work experience, and helping the employers develop a pipeline of talent for their operations.

 Any company that hires interns for a TalentCorp-endorsed SIP would be eligible for double tax deduction for all related expenses incurred by the interns.

To qualify for SIP, a company must set a clearly-defined learning outcome for its internships that would lead to enhanced employability skills, in addition to providing a minimum monthly allowance of MYR500 and a minimum internship duration of 10 weeks.