Rural folks in villages and Felda areas will be taught to become entrepreneurs through the setting up of 10 new National Youth Training Institute branch campuses across the country.

The centres, each costing RM50mil, will equip prospective students in rural areas with soft skills such as interpersonal communications and business acumen, to help them launch themselves on a self-employed career.

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said said that under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, she said, the ministry hopes to produce around 100,000 graduates yearly from these centres to meet the market demands for skilled and enterprising employees.

As for entrepreneurship, some people in the rural areas, for example, know how to repair motorcycles but need to be taught how to be self-employed so that they have a choice of opening their own business. Currently, around 40% of graduates become entrepreneurs, but it is hoped that all of them can become self-employed.

The ministry would also be looking into sponsoring youths with specific skills, such as cooking, to take courses under the National Vocational Skills Council programmes.