The East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) has expanded its “empower” Skills & Entrepreneurship Training and Academic Training Programmes to Temerloh and Lipis in Pahang starting this year, following the success of its pilot project in Bentong.

The “empower” Bentong programme, which commenced in April last year, has also been extended to Phase 2 as a result of the encouraging outcome of its Phase 1, said Pahang Menteri Besar, Dato’ Sri Diraja Haji Adnan Haji Yaakob.

Some 2,700 local residents within the three districts are expected to benefit from the expanded programme, which is aimed at creating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities and raising the participants’ income, as well as boost the academic achievement of participating students, he noted.

Adnan said this when announcing “empower” Bentong’s Phase 1 completion and Phase 2 commencement at a special ceremony on April 16 in Bentong, Pahang.  Also present at the event were Health Minister Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai and ECERDC Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Jebasingam Issace John.

ECERDC has introduced “empower” Bentong human capital development programme as a pilot project in Bentong last April.  The empower Bentong pilot project in its first year involved 1,000 residents comprising students, the unemployed, school leavers, fresh graduates and single parents.