The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) is set to roll out a Training of Trainers (TOT) programme starting this year to enhance the nation’s care workforce.
Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri told the Dewan Rakyat that the initiative aims to expand training capacity and elevate the quality of services for older persons, children, and individuals with disabilities. The programme will be conducted in collaboration with the Malaysian Social Institute (ISM) and selected accredited care training centres across the country.
To encourage private sector involvement, the government is offering incentives such as double tax deductions on care training grants channelled through KPWKM-recognised institutions.
“This initiative is part of our broader efforts under the Malaysia Care Economy framework to address gaps in the care sector,” Nancy said. She highlighted that RM3 million has been allocated this year to train 1,700 caregivers for the elderly and persons with disabilities, contributing to the target of producing 50,000 professional caregivers by 2030.
In parallel, the ministry is developing National Care Standards with a RM5 million allocation, which will provide a nationwide benchmark for training, certification, and regulation of care services.
Nancy added that building caregivers’ skills through structured training will reduce dependence on unpaid family caregivers and support an increase in women’s labour force participation to 60%, aligning with the MADANI Economy framework.
