KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 (Bernama) -- Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Datuk R. Ramanan has urged all agencies under his ministry organise special entrepreneurship programmes for university students.
Citing the success of the Bank Rakyat UNIpreneur 3.0 programme as an example, he said the ministry aims to ensure that every student pursuing business courses at higher education institutions has access to a business platform immediately after graduation.
“I will discuss this matter with Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick and Datuk Seri Suriani Ahmad, the secretary-general of the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry (KUSKOP).
“The Bank Rakyat UNIpreneur 3.0 programme provides a hands-on approach with step-by-step guidance to help participants develop and enhance their businesses,” he said after the launch of the Rakyatpreneur and Bank Rakyat UNIpreneur 3.0 programmes here today.
According to Ramanan, the Bank Rakyat UNIpreneur 3.0 programme has successfully raised financial awareness among 500 entrepreneurs, including those from the asnaf group, with 90 per cent, or 451 participants, now saving money on a monthly basis.
“More impressively, this group has leveraged digital platforms to generate income, with 53.8 per cent, or 269 participants, conducting business online and 67 per cent, or 335 participants, using digital transactions,” he said.
As such, Ramanan hoped that all agencies under KUSKOP would implement more entrepreneurship programmes for university students to ensure brighter career opportunities for this group.
He said the RAKYATpreneur 4.0 programme, which involved 300 entrepreneurs, had shown positive results, with 63 per cent, or a total of 189 participants, recording an increase in sales over the six-month duration of the programme.
“In addition, 69 per cent or 208 participants, have started to save money from their sales, and 62 per cent or 187 participants, are offering employment opportunities for the local community,” he said.
He said the Rakyatpreneur and Bank Rakyat UNIpreneur 3.0 programmes, a collaborative initiative between the bank and higher education institutions (IPTs), have benefited 1,833 entrepreneurs and asnaf students with a total of RM6.63 million in donated funds since their inception more than three years ago.
The programmes were also featured in the 2023 World Bank Group report titled Tracking Progress: Impact Monitoring of Social Finance.
--BERNAMA
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