KUALA LUMPUR: The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) today held a graduation ceremony for the first cohort of investED, its flagship capital market graduate programme to develop a sustainable talent pipeline for the capital market.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir addressed the ceremony at the SC, where he also gave away prizes to best students.
Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim launched investED at the SC in June 2023. The three-year programme is aimed at enhancing graduate employability and ensuring a sustainable talent pipeline to help ease the shortage of skilled talent in the capital market.
The programme is expected to improve the capital market knowledge of 9,000 university students and provide job placements for up to 600 graduates in the capital market industry between 2023 and 2025.
For the first time, such an initiative is a joint effort between the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Higher Education, the SC, the capital market industry and universities.
The SC Chairman Datuk Seri Dr. Awang Adek Hussin said, “Our goal for investED extends beyond education and knowledge. At the core lies a recognition of the need to bridge the gap between academia and industry.”
“The capital market offers a wealth of opportunities, yet many remain unaware of its vast potential. We hope that the investED programme would raise awareness of the many career pathways available, while also developing capacity and leadership skills among our trainees,” he added.
The first cohort of investED’s Leadership Programme, which started in August 2023, attracted over 2,500 applications from fresh graduates. Among the 200 shortlisted candidates, 169 graduated today after completing a six-month job placement with 53 partner companies.
Trainees gained valuable capital market knowledge through a one-month comprehensive and interactive classroom learning module at the Asia School of Business in Kuala Lumpur.
Following this, more than 65% of the trainees were offered employment opportunities with investED’s partners in the capital market industry. These trainees come from diverse academic backgrounds, predominantly in banking and finance, business, law, and social studies.
Besides industry experience, the trainees also received a monthly allowance of RM2,400 during their training.
Notable partners and top recruiters include leading capital market intermediaries such as Malayan Banking Berhad, Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad, CGS International Securities Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd.
Today’s ceremony also saw 192 holders of the investED’s Foundation Programme, a structured certification programme managed by the SC’s learning arm, the Securities Industry Development Corporation (SIDC), receive their certificates.
Started in August 2023, this programme provided introductory knowledge and baseline certification on the capital market, completed within two to three months. The Foundation Programme’s first cohort attracted 2,526 applications, reflecting strong interest and uptake.
Since its inception, InvestED has engaged over 30,000 university students through seven career fairs and 24 career talks across the country. Going forward, it aims to reach out to more universities this year.
The investED Leadership Programme is now accepting applications for its second cohort until 30 June 2024.
