KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 (Bernama) — The Asia Foundation — supported with a USD$3.3 million grant from Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org — will collaborate with The ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME) to train up to 200,000 people from rural regions and underserved communities. The programme focuses on closing the digital gap across ASEAN, in support of the vision set out by the ACCMSME’s Action Agenda on Digitalisation of ASEAN Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through Capacity Building.
In Malaysia, the selected implementing partners, International Youth Center and Startup Malaysia will utilise part of the funding to develop digital literacy training modules with a goal of supporting 15,000 unemployed youths and micro-entrepreneurs, with 50% of them females. The training will focus on skills such as creating online profiles on professional network platforms, conducting business online through social media, and maximising job portals to improve employability.