Yayasan Peneraju rolls out new financing scheme to accelerate AI upskilling in Malaysia

The new ‘basic package', which opens to the public tomorrow, complements the foundation’s existing silver, gold and platinum schemes launched last year. 

Under the initiative, eligible applicants can receive up to RM5,000 in interest-free financing with zero administrative fees, and importantly, no repayment is required upon successful completion of the training. The move comes as workplace skill requirements evolve alongside emerging technologies.

 YP chief executive officer Ibrahim Sani said that an estimated 620,000 jobs in Malaysia are expected to be significantly impacted by AI, digitalisation and the green economy over the next three to five years, underscoring the urgency for structured workforce readiness. 

“As the prime minister has emphasised, if managed well, AI can deliver more inclusive benefits across healthcare, education, agriculture, services and manufacturing,” Ibrahim said. 

“To unlock these gains at scale, we need to broaden access to applied training that enables Malaysians to use AI effectively in the workplace. Through the basic package, YP is making it easier for more Bumiputera talents to start building job-ready AI skills now.” 

The programme launches with more than 100 AI-focused training courses provided by over 40 approved learning institutions, with the list set to expand as new programmes enter the market. 

Training is aligned to the AI Readiness Index framework developed by AI Singapore, helping participants identify the right entry level and progress systematically. 

Courses span both foundational and specialised areas, including AI Prompting Essentials, Generative AI Essentials, cloud computing, cybersecurity, software development, data skills and design. 

Open to applicants aged 16 and above, the scheme is accessible to school leavers, undergraduates, working professionals, the self-employed and unemployed individuals. Programmes are designed to be practical and time-efficient, with a maximum duration of six months. 

In 2025, the talent development foundation enrolled more than 14,000 Bumiputera talents across its programmes, nearly 9,000 of whom pursued technology-related courses, which is the highest technology intake in its history.

Building on this momentum, the foundation aims to enrol 12,000 participants in technology programmes this year, and scale up to 50,000 annually by 2030, supporting the 13th Malaysia Plan’s goal of reaching 100,000 talents over five years.