SHAH ALAM: The three-day MYFutureJobs Career Fair last weekend, which focused on inclusivity, hired more than 49 people with disabilities (PwDs), and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates.
The fair, with the theme "No one left behind" offered 21,000 jobs through more than 195 employers from various sectors.
Out of 5,410 job seekers interviewed by employers, 2,330 were hired, including 49 PwDs.
Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) Group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said the theme was chosen to call on more people from the vulnerable groups to join the career fair.
"The theme 'No one left behind' was chosen because many job seekers were under the impression that the carnival and programme only targeted school leavers and fresh graduates.
"However, we are opening up opportunities and space for all, even those who are in the vulnerable categories.
"So this is one of the approaches or what we are implementing for groups that have been considered marginalised, namely Persons with Disablities, former prisoners, women or those who have graduated from TVET who may find it difficult to get employed."
He said this on the second day of the career fair at Ideal Convention Centre, Shah Alam.
Azman said this was also one of the ways for Perkeso to encourage more employers to hire more persons with disabilities.
This, he said, was also aimed to attract more employers to seize the government's incentives under the 2024 Budget , where RM30 million has been allocated for employers to employ 3,300 from vulnerable groups, including senior citizens, PwDs and former inmates.
When tabling the budget, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had said that the government would continue to encourage these vulnerable groups to find jobs.
As such, he said, the one per cent job opportunity policy for the disabled would be extended to ex-convicts and the elderly through MYFutureJobs job matching and MySTEP programmes.
By hiring marginalised groups, employers will receive an incentive of RM1,500 for six months from the government.
Azman assured that more programmes similar to the career fair would be implemented.
"This programme is a continuous programme implemented by Perkeso. For example, last year, we implemented more than 6,000 job placement programmes, and this is among the large-scale programmes conducted.
"Even today, we are not only conducting it (job placement programmes) here, but we are also conducting it online across 11 states simultaneously."
Meanwhile, event collaborator Usanita Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Adzliana Hasan expressed hope that the carnival would be able to help the marginalised communities by offering job opportunities, including the disabled and TVET graduates.
"I hope this carnival can help those in need get employed.
"Especially those who feel that it's hard find a job or feel marginalised.
I believe this is an opportunity for them and we have seen that a lot from the disabled community received job offers from employers. That is one of the efforts from Usanita and Perkeso," she said.
"Usanita is a platform that brings together a community of entrepreneurs.
It is also involved in event management, focusing more on organising workshops, expos and carnivals with the added value of engaging entrepreneurs with national icons."
