JELITA empowers women through TVET

KUCHING: The Job Empowerment Through Learning and Inclusive Advancement (JELITA) programme empowers rural women through technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

Federal Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang said that the initiative by the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA) has played a crucial role, achieving an exceptional employability rate of 91.42 per cent within six months of participants completing their studies.

She asserted that this effort aligns with the recommendation of the National Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) council to increase the skilled workforce by 35 per cent in the economy by 2030.

“JELITA aspires to stand as a leading training and education hub specifically for women’s empowerment through the TVET channel.

“The programme is open to all women and focuses on 10 TVET training areas.”

“For the year 2023, JELITA has implemented four priority areas: halal certification; tourism, hospitality, and culinary; agro-technology; and rural business,” she said.

She said this when officiating at the closing ceremony of JELITA@RISDA programme at the Institute For Rural Advancement (INFRA) Sarawak Branch Campus on Saturday.

Earlier, two TVET programmes, namely the Frozen Food Course Series 2 and Mobile Phone Repair Course Series 2, involving 40 Sarawak participants, took place from Nov 28 to Dec 2.

As such, Rubiah who is the Kota Samarahan MP encouraged local participants to make the best use of the opportunities provided.

She stressed that through JELITA certification, it can add value, especially for those involved as entrepreneurs.

For the record, JELITA is a programme born from the idea of the RISDA chairman Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad.

The programme was launched by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the WTC, Kuala Lumpur, on August 3, 2023.