KOTA KINABALU: A total of 103,183 undergraduates and graduates have participated in entrepreneurship and employability programmes under the Professional Training and Education for Growing Entrepreneurs (PROTÉGÉ) initiative since its launch under the 12th Malaysia Plan.
Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick highlighted PROTÉGÉ as a key strategy to equip youth, particularly in Sabah, with skills for job market readiness and self-employment.
“This programme aims to produce graduates who are competitive and prepared to embrace entrepreneurship as a career,“ he said during the closing ceremony of the PROTÉGÉ Carnival 2025 at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sabah Branch.
According to a PROTÉGÉ Impact Study from 2021 to 2023, 55.2 per cent of 599 respondents gained access to digital marketing, financing, and business guidance, leading to new job opportunities.
Ewon urged graduates to shift from job-seeking to job creation by considering entrepreneurship.
He also noted KUSKOP’s collaboration with TVET institutions and industries to integrate entrepreneurship modules into training programmes.
The carnival is part of a four-event series in 2025 to empower Sabah’s youth in entrepreneurship.
Participating institutions included UiTM, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, IKBN Kinarut, Kota Kinabalu Polytechnic, and North Borneo University College.
