SELECTED Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) students can be rest assured that they will gain employment after completing a training programme.

PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd has pledged to train and employ 100 graduates from the university under the Smart Trucker Programme, beginning in November 2020.

The six-month training will see the Smart Truckers learning the basics of defensive driving, commercial truck driving, custom brokerage and warehouse management, among others.

Upon completion of the training, the graduates will be employed by the company as Smart Truckers over a four-year period and enjoy a monthly income between RM3,000 and RM4,000.

After the four years, the Smart Truckers can opt to transfer to an office-bound role as a logistics executive, learning about operations and picking up other on-ground knowledge.

This initiative, led by its group chief executive and managing director Datuk Michael Tio, was unveiled in conjunction with the government’s National Economic Revival Plan (Penjana) Higher Education Ministry-Career Advancement Programme (KPT-CAP).

The programme was recently launched by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and has been granted RM100mil out of the RM35bil Penjana initiative.

“This programme will help alleviate unemployment among graduates by offering them jobs that are highly in demand,” said Tio at the event.

He added that logistics was one of the essential industries allowed to operate during the movement control order, thus indicating that it is a “recession-proof business”.

PKT is determined to provide job opportunities to those who are keen to serve with passion while supporting nation-building initiatives despite challenging times, said Tio.

He added that the company fully supports the government’s Penjana KPT-CAP and is committed to upskilling and employing future talents.