KUALA LUMPUR: Cycle & Carriage Bintang Bhd, a Mercedes-Benz Malaysia dealership, has launched the Cycle & Carriage Study Grant to support the technical and vocational education of youth pursuing a career in the country's automotive sector.
According to the company, it is projected that by 2020, the country will see an increase in demand for an additional 1.3 million Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) workers.
"We believe that our empowered youth can make a positive and sustained impact not just to their families but also for the society at large.
"Through the grant, our extensive network, growing customer base and the economy as a whole will stand to benefit from a growing pool of skilled talents," said its chief executive officer Wilfrid Foo in a statement.
Cycle & Carriage Study Grant is designed to benefit local youth by supporting their technical and vocational education. This in turn will result in greater employment opportunities that spur the economic growth and eventually help to break the cycle of poverty.
The grant is open to Malaysian youths aged 16 years and above, who are currently enrolled in or have secured a placement in an automotive course within a skills training institution, which is accredited by the Department for Skill Development of the Ministry of Human Resources or Ministry of Higher Education.
This initiative is targeted at youths requiring financial assistance and who come from families with a monthly household income of RM3,000 and below. Each year, five candidates will be selected as recipients of the Cycle& & Carriage Study Grant and they will each received up to RM5,000 annual bursary for a maximum of three years of studies.
The application process, which is conducted from March to April, will be followed by an interview with the Cycle & Carriage selection committee in May. Other requirements include a minimum credit in English, Mathematics, either at Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3 (PT3) or Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) or Sijil Vokasional Malaysia (SVM) level.
With the largest Daimler AG certified Mercedes-Benz aftersales network in Malaysia, the company will also be able to offer the youths quality hands-on experience, which is integral in the technical and vocational education.
Grant recipients will be provided with paid internship opportunities within the Cycle & Carriage network for greater exposure to actual working environments, learning directly from qualified and experienced technicians.
The Cycle & Carriage Study Grant is launched in conjunction with the company's 120th anniversary in 2019 and its new brand promise, 'Exceptional Journeys'.
"We are always investing in our people, systems and facilities. We look forward to welcome the next generation of skilled talent into our network as they form the bedrock of our promise to deliver exceptional journeys at every customer touch point," said Foo.
