5,000 selected students for SME-University internship

PUTRAJAYA: Five thousand students from 20 institutions of higher learning nationwide will be selected to participate in the SME-University Internship programme.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said yesterday the students would undergo a three to six-month internship at selected small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) throughout the two-year programme.

The programme differed from other internship programmes as a group, comprising four or five students, from various studies would be placed under one SME company, he told reporters, here, today.

“Apart from undergoing training and equiping themselves with the skills and entrepreneurship experience, the students would also act as a consultant to help the companies,” he said.

Earlier, Mohamed Khaled and International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Higher Education Ministry and the Small- and Medium-scale Industry Development Corporation (SMIDEC) pertaining to the programme.

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin said RM3 million had been set aside by his ministry to implement the two-year programme which would involve 1,250 SME entrepreneurs.

“The allocation is meant for meal, transport and other allowances,” he said.

He said the selected students were encouraged to come out with creative and innovative ideas to help upgrade the companies.

“Students who are interested and have strong determination to become successful entrepreneurs will be helped to achieve their dreams once they finish their studies,” he said.