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.
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unifi business a boost for MSMEs as economic recovery gains momentum
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TM AND SINGTEL’S NXERA BREAK GROUND FOR SUSTAINABLE, HYPER-CONNECTED DATA CENTRE CAMPUS IN JOHOR
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Minister YB Gobind said, "This investment by TM and Nxera reinforces Malaysia's position as the digital hub in Southeast Asia, further advancing the nation's economic growth. Based on advance estimates, Malaysia's economy expanded 5.8% in the second quarter of 2024, and such investments are in line with projections that Malaysia's digital economy will contribute 25.5% to the nation's GDP by the end of the year. The relationship between TM and Nxera expands to Malaysia and Singapore, with both nations being a good case study of a productive working partnership between two ASEAN member states." YAB Dato Onn Hafiz Ghazi, Menteri Besar, Johor said, “TM-Nxera’s upcoming data centre campus, located right here in Iskandar Puteri, holds particular significance as one of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone’s first investment projects. We welcome the comprehensive scope of their investment with respect to high quality infrastructure, sustainability as well as employment and skilling opportunities which supports our emphasis on talent development, green technology and renewable energy. This data centre campus will serve as a catalyst for economic growth and enable businesses to harness the power of cloud computing and AI. We hope this will set the stage to shape a vibrant business ecosystem where more high-tech and high-value content companies will be attracted to locate their operations within the special economic zone and give a further boost to Johor’s digital economy.” Senior Minister of State Low said, “Data centres are important enablers of our digital economy, powering our economy’s data-driven needs. As technology advances, robust, next-generation digital infrastructure like the TM-Nxera Data Centre will be essential to support AI advancements and foster value creation. Today’s groundbreaking marks a milestone in the deepening economic relations between Singapore and Malaysia, and I look forward to the outcomes we can achieve through close collaboration.” Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, TM’s Group CEO, said, “Today marks a pivotal milestone in our journey to becoming a digital powerhouse as we break ground on this cutting-edge AI-ready data centre. This facility exemplifies our commitment to fostering industry growth, driving innovation, and enhancing socio-economic development. With support from the Federal Government, and Johor state agencies and authorities, we are confident that this AI-ready data centre will equip businesses with unparalleled computing power, AI capabilities, and other cutting-edge technologies. We are excited to lead the way into a future where AI and data analytics drive transformative solutions, revolutionising industries and enriching both our nation and the world.” Bill Chang, CEO of Nxera and Singtel’s Digital InfraCo unit, said, “As one of the largest investments in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, this state-of-the-art data centre campus is an integral part of our mission to empower digital economies and communities in the region while ensuring energy and water resources are deployed responsibly and efficiently. It expands our regional data centre platform’s strategic presence in this fast-growing Asia region. With Malaysia embracing AI to drive competitiveness and innovation, our campus will spur economic growth by helping companies leverage AIs and cloud computing to drive efficiencies and accelerate their business transformation. Our investment isn’t just about the campus, it is about bringing benefits to the local economy through digitalisation, developing local talent, creating employment opportunities and enhancing international connectivity. We would like to express our gratitude to the Johor State Executive Council, Invest Johor, Iskandar Regional Development Authority, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation and Malaysian Investment Development Authority for their support.” Scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2026, this cloud-enabled Tier 3 data centre campus will use liquid cooling to handle higher power density AI workloads. The facility will be designed, built and certified to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, incorporating energy and water-efficient solutions to optimise the use of resources. This underscores the joint venture's commitment to long-term sustainability goals. To support the new data centre campus, the joint venture plans to expand submarine cable connectivity, enabling a thriving and vibrant digital ecosystem. Located just 16 km from Singapore, the data centre campus will allow customers to seamlessly expand their infrastructure from the city state and the rest of the region. Further, the data centre can be scaled up to 200MW in response to market demand. In addition, apart from creation of new employment opportunities that is important for nation building, the joint venture will invest in building talent for the data centre industry by fostering collaborations between universities in Singapore and Malaysia. It aims to design comprehensive courses with specialised curriculum to provide students with well-rounded knowledge and the requisite skills to propel Malaysia’s growth aspirations. For communities and the region, this means superior country-to-country connectivity and a smarter, more resilient digital economy. As announced in Bursa, this joint venture is conditional upon receiving approval from TM shareholders in the upcoming EGM.

TM helps local entrepreneurs in Perlis to meet their digital needs
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