About 32,317 individuals have managed to get jobs via the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) National Economic Recovery Plan (PENJANA), since it was launched on June 22.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said of the total, 1,603 people were from Sabah.

"Through the PENJANA HRDF, an individual will not only get a job, but they will also be equipped with the necessary skills.

"The training cost is fully borne by Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Bhd (PSMB) through the PENJANA allocation of RM250 million announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on June 9," he said.

He said this when officiating the Sabah PENJANA HRDF Initiative Programme, here yesterday.

PENJANA HRDF is implemented to help address the issue of unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said via the PENJANA HRDF, five schemes were introduced, namely Place and Train, B40 Development, SME Development, Industrial Revolution 4.0, and Gerak Insan Gemilang (GIG).

"Out of these five schemes, there are two schemes that focus on job placement outcomes and income generation.

"The first is the 'Place and Train' scheme which guarantees job placement for at least 12 months to the trainees as soon as the participants complete their training," he said.

Saravanan said the second scheme was the GIG scheme which allowed trainees to venture into and generate income in the economic sector after completing the training.

Commenting on the event, he said 20 individuals representing 1,600 Sabahans who have got jobs would receive the offer letters.

"These successful candidates will start working for a period of at least 12 months with a salary of between RM1,800 and RM7,000 per month," he said.

-- BERNAMA