TM PROTÉGÉ Ready to Work (RTW) programme is in line with Government’s effort to raise the employability level of graduates

​​​Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) continuously empower Malaysian graduates with its education-oriented and skill enhancement programmes. Most recently, the Company enrolled participants for its Ready to Work (RTW) programme, namely Professional Training and Education for Growing Entrepreneurs or PROTÉGÉ, in line with the Government's effort in raising the employability level of the graduates.​

This PROTÉGÉ programme or previously known as Program Skim Latihan 1Malaysia (SL1M) is under the supervision of PROTÉGÉ Secretariat and the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (MEDAC).

The main objective of this programme is to improve the marketability and entrepreneurial skills of unemployed graduates, including through on-job-trainings and guidance programmes in collaboration with industry experts. It is also aimed at producing more entrepreneurs and job creators who are competitive, meet the current industry need and ready for the global market.

TM recently held an engagement session - 'Majlis Ramah Mesra TM bersama PROTÉGÉ' - with the participants of its latest TM PROTÉGÉ Programme intake at Dewan Tun Canselor, Multimedia University (MMU), Cyberjaya. Farid Basir, Chief Human Capital Officer, TM attended the event and shared some tips and thoughts on career growth and development with the participants. Also present at the event were Norhadznita Hj Mohammad Ilham, Head Secretariat PROTÉGÉ, MEDAC, Prof. Dato' Dr Mazliham Mohd Su'ud, President of MMU, Norkhairul Wahab, Chief Executive Officer, MMU Cnergy and Badrul Hisham Bahari, Chief Executive Officer, GITN Sdn Bhd.

Commenting on the PROTÉGÉ programme, Farid said, "The creation of a digitally-ready community and future-proof workforce has always been one of the pillars under the Company's Digital Malaysia aspiration. While we continue to evolve as an organisation, we have always been committed to our role towards building the nation. Through programmes like TM PROTEGE, TM aspires to empower the leaders of tomorrow with relevant skills in innovation and technology towards serving a more digital society and lifestyle, digital businesses and industry verticals, as well as digital Government. This includes nurturing a highly skilled workforce and accelerating digital adoption via on job training with industry guidance and professionals expertise. Our involvement in PROTÉGÉ reflects our staunch support towards the Government's efforts in increasing the employability of the young graduates and equipping them for Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0). This is befitting our role as the national connectivity and digital infrastructure provider, empowering Malaysia's Digital Nation aspirations."

Since 2011, under the SL1M programme, TM has trained 2,846 graduates. The initiative was then continued with PROTÉGÉ, which saw 140 participants selected for the first intake in February 2020. They are currently undergoing on-the-job training at TM and GITN Sdn. Bhd, a subsidiary of TM.

In September 2020, the programme continues with its second intake of 169 participants who are now attending soft skills training at MMU, Cyberjaya.

The eight (8) months intensive programme consists of soft skills classroom and online training for one (1) month, followed by on-job-training (OJT) for seven (7) months. There are seven (7) core soft skills modules involved including communications, technical and management skills required by the industry as well as effective work ethics. The OJT will prepare the participants with a career mindset and enable them to experience the real working environment. This second intake is expected to graduate in April 2021. For graduates who are interested to participate in the next intake, just look out for the enrollment  alert at https://tmcareer.tm.com.my. 

TM PROTÉGÉ is among the major initiatives under TM's Graduates Employability Programme. Other initiatives are unifi Sales Apprentice Programme, participation in virtual career fairs, such as Talentbank Digital Career Fair, Graduan Virtual Digital Career Fair and career webinars with universities. In the near future, TM will also introduce a new graduates' trainee programme for the undergraduates.

In the meantime, TM, through its education arm, MMU will continue to support the Government's aspiration towards a digital era ready workforce particularly in the fields of IT, communications and multimedia especially in the current Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) era. Since its establishment 22 years ago, MMU has produced over 60,000 graduates with high marketability, including for major players in the industry.

Additionally, since its establishment in 1994, TM's foundation, Yayasan Telekom Malaysia (YTM) has awarded education sponsorship to more than 15,000 deserving students of high academic calibre to pursue their studies at government schools and universities in Malaysia and abroad, with a total sponsorship value of over RM549.5 million. YTM continues to focus on nurturing the right talent that will ultimately contribute to the growth of the Company, industry and nation.

For more information on TM's Corporate Responsibility initiatives including education sponsorship, visit www.tm.com.my.