KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 – Based on SOCSO statistics, from 2020 until September 27, 2024, a total of 21,160 job seekers under the OKU (disabled people) category throughout Malaysia have registered in the Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR) job portal MYFutureJobs, said Human Resources Minister Steven Sim.
“Of that amount, 3,361 people are disabled youths from the learning disabilities category, including those who fall on the autism spectrum, and in the same period, a total of 1,246 people were successfully placed in new employment through this Job Placement Programme,” said Sim in a written parliamentary reply on October 15, 2024.
“Accordingly, MOHR through SOCSO has implemented the Disability Equality Training (DET) programme and Return to Work Coordinator (RTWC), which aims to provide exposure and support for employers to employ disabled workers.”
Based on SOCSO statistics, a total of 381 employer representatives have participated in the DET programme since 2021 until 2023 and a total of 2,031 employer representatives have participated in the RTWC programme until August 2024, he added.
In addition, through Human Resource Development Berhad (HRD CORP), MOH has introduced a special initiative to improve the efficiency of training and job placement under the Madani Training Programme (Program Latihan Madani, PLM).
HRD CORP also helps youth in the learning disability category including those on the autism spectrum gain access to appropriate employment through its focus on the Person With Disability (PWD) Development, which is an initiative designed to empower the disabled with basic training skills through various competency-focused courses or certifications.
“This initiative will pave the way for people with disabilities to be acceptable as employees by improving their integration in society through employment or income generating opportunities,” Sim said.
“As of September 2024, a total of 1,500 participants have been approved to participate in the initiative.”
In addition, MOHR through the Skills Development Department (JPK) has provided accreditation to training centres that involve the participation of OKU trainees under the Malaysian Skills Certification System (SPKM), including:
- Accreditation for 1,582 training centres throughout Malaysia. Out of that number, 922 centres have accepted trainees with disabilities to participate in skills training.
- The establishment of seven accredited centres specifically for disabled trainees to provide specially designed training for OKU trainees in the learning disability category, including autism, such as in special needs vocational secondary schools (Sekolah Menengah Pendidikan Khas Vokasional) and the Industrial Training and Rehabilitation Centre (Pusat Latihan Perindustrian dan Pemulihan, PLPP).
“Based on JPK statistics until September 2024, as many as 2,713 disabled trainees have registered, and 2,158 trainees have been successfully certified,” Sim said.
“This indicates increased access to quality training that can help those who fall under the learning disabilities category including those on the autism spectrum.
He added that statistics from the Manpower Department under MOHR revealed as of September 2024, a total of 241 disabled trainees of various categories have received training at the Manpower Department’s Training Institute (Institut Latihan Jabatan Tenaga Manusia, ILJTM).
“Of that number, a total of 125 students from the learning disability category including those on the autism spectrum have studied at ILJTM.”
