KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s leading employment platform JobStreet has introduced the SME Incentive Helpdesk in an effort to help businesses recover from the devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
This initiative, among others, is aimed at providing clarity to businesses which may be confused about various business financial aids and grants that they could apply for.
 
JobStreet Managing Director Vic Sithasanan said that, despite most restrictions under the Movement Control Order (MCO) having been lifted, the reality today is that numerous businesses continue to face challenging times.
 
“We have made it our mission to help rebuild the economy and to do whatever we can to help businesses recover within today’s ‘never normal’ environment,” said Vic.
 
“As SMEs form the cornerstone of the Malaysian economy, it is imperative for this community to be firing on all cylinders again.”
 
According to the SME Association of Malaysia, SMEs represent 97.2% of overall business establishments throughout the country.
 
Its National Secretary General Chin Chee Seong said that the MCO has brought the SME community to its knees due to pandemic-induced restrictions and hindrances.
 
“Now that Malaysia is on the road to economic recovery, it is an opportune time to also nurture back to health SMEs that had been badly bruised by the pandemic,” he said.
 
He welcomed JobStreet’s ‘SME Incentive Helpdesk’ initiative and is looking forward to other such industry intiatives to assist SMEs recover from the pandemic.
 
‘Standing by our SMEs’
The SME Incentive Helpdesk initiative enables businesses to seek information on available incentives that are relevant to them and the application processes involved, as well as to help them benefit from available hiring and training incentives.  
 
Meanwhile, JobStreet’s collaboration with HRD Corp is an effort to enable exclusive training incentives with the aim of encouraging companies to hire new talents.
 
This programme is delivered through HRD Corp Placement Centre (HPC), a one-stop virtual portal that provides employment and income-generating opportunities for all Malaysians. It will be geared at creating new job opportunities by helping companies manage total hiring and onboarding costs at a critical juncture in their business continuity and survival.
 
Under this initiative, employers can claim up to RM3,600 (RM600 x 6 months) for on-the-job training allowances, which would help reduce the total cost of hiring new talent especially from unemployed graduates and school leavers.
 
This incentive is available exclusively for hires made via the JobStreet platform. Furthermore, there is no limit to the number of new hires for which employers can submit their claims.
 
“The SME Incentive Helpdesk epitomises our commitment of ‘standing by our SMEs’ and helping them get through this trying period,” said Vic.
 
JobStreet, Malaysia’s largest employment platform with the highest number of job postings online, is committed to creating opportunities for SMEs.
 
To get in touch with the SME Incentive Helpdesk, please call +603 2778 9000.
 
Source: JobStreet
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Navina Kurup
Social Media Lead
Email: navinak@jobstreet.com 
 
Name: Michael Ang
PR Consultant
Email: mike.ang@alconsulting.asia
 
--BERNAMA