MDEC continues to upskill local micro-entrepreneurs, gig workers, and students with eUsahawan and Gig Fest

The MDEC eUsahawan and Gig Fest, held for the first time at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, was buzzing with excited students and other eager Malaysians seeking more opportunities in our growing digital economy. Standing out from the crowd, in particular, was a not-so-young lady who was excitedly telling the crowd that she attended the event because she loved being up to date with technology.

The event, organized by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), aims to cultivate a more digitally driven culture and equip individuals and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with the necessary skills to thrive in the digital economy amidst an evolving digital landscape.

In his officiation speech, Minister of Digital, YB Gobind Singh Deo, said the digital economy wasn’t just an economic sector, but a driving core of Malaysia’s development under the Malaysia Digital national strategic initiative.

TS Mahadir Aziz, MDEC’s CEO, said programs such as MDEC’s e-Usahawan and Global Online Workforce (GLOW) are catalysts to pivot the Malaysian workforce and businesses towards international opportunities as well.

Since 2015, MDEC’s eUsahawan programme has successfully trained 563,543 entrepreneurs nationwide, generating impressive cumulative sales exceeding RM1.24 billion. The programme’s impact extends beyond direct training, with eUsahawan modules now integrated into the curriculums of over 35 tertiary education institutions and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.

This year, MDEC aims to train 30,000 SMEs, tertiary and TVET students, with a sales target of RM35 million. 100 new eUsahawan hubs will also be established in strategic locations nationwide to expose local entrepreneurs to more efficient digital marketing techniques.

For the GLOW programme introduced in 2016, MDEC has assisted a total of 105,390 participants from across the country in increasing their income, successfully generating a collective revenue of up to RM282.76 million. The programme has played a crucial role in honing the skills and knowledge of participants, especially unemployed graduates as well as those who have experienced job loss and salary cuts, enabling them to succeed as digital freelancers.