KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 — Growing up in Rumah Gawai Sungai Mupong, Sarawak, Alexender Simong Anak Gawai was raised by his mother in a single-parent household and supported by his longhouse community.
After leaving school in Form Three, he seemed to have few career prospects.
Next month, however, Alexender will begin a permanent role as a Harvesting Specialist with SD Guthrie in Bintulu — an opportunity made possible through the Harvesting Specialist Programme run in partnership with SD Guthrie, Institut Perladangan dan Komoditi Malaysia (IMPAC) and Sarawak Skills SAVTI.
For Miri-born Daniel Lai Chun Ming, the turning point came when he enrolled in the YSD Certificate of Heavy Equipment Programme at Sime Industrial Academy.
Today, he is employed as a technician with Sime Industrial Tractors Malaysia, earning above Malaysia’s premium TVET salary benchmarks — proof that youth without academic qualifications can succeed in high-paying, in-demand careers with the right training.
Alexender and Daniel are among the many beneficiaries of Yayasan Sime Darby’s (YSD) Skills Enrichment (TVET) Programme, which has expanded this year with support from Belanjawan 2025.
Backed by a RM2.54 million matching grant, YSD’s TVET initiatives are reaching underserved communities in Sarawak, Sabah, Terengganu and Kedah, with a target of supporting more than 400 students by year-end.
To drive this effort, YSD has strengthened its nationwide partner network to 14 institutions. Alongside longstanding collaborators such as Sime Industrial Academy, IMPAC, CIDB Malaysia, Akademi Binaan Malaysia (ABM) and the Education Ministry’s Bahagian Pendidikan dan Latihan Vokasional (BPLTV), new partners include the Automotive and Welding Institute of Sarawak (AWISAR), Sarawak Agriculture Vocational Training Institute (SAVTI) and Sabah Skills & Technology Centre (SSTC).
These partnerships broaden access to certified training in automotive, agriculture, welding, construction and heavy equipment sectors.
“TVET does more than match skills to jobs — it changes life trajectories. From our experience, nearly all YSD TVET graduates secure job placements soon after completing their training. By year-end, YSD aims to award an additional 350 TVET bursaries under the YSD Skill Enrichment Programme to underprivileged students,” said Datuk Dr Rashidah Bolhassan, Non-Independent Governing Council Member of YSD.
A ceremony celebrating the theme “Building Brighter Futures” was held today at SD Guthrie Auditorium, where YSD awarded RM3.69 million in scholarships and bursaries to 142 outstanding students. Senior leaders from SD Guthrie Berhad, Sime Darby Berhad and Sime Darby Property Berhad attended, along with Senator Isaiah D. Jacob, who represents the Persons with Disabilities (OKU) community in the Dewan Negara.
This year’s cohort included 22 OKU recipients, five under the YSD Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship Programme, 18 employees from donor companies and 39 bursaries for employees’ children pursuing higher education.
The ceremony also highlighted individual achievements, including:
• Kashmeetha Pillai, winner of the YSD Chairman Award 2025, a First-Class degree achiever who logged over 200 volunteer hours and led sustainability and advocacy initiatives.
• Thayananth Kumaresan, recipient of the YSD Excellence Award 2025, who co-created an award-winning health software application and led 30 community projects.
• Abdullah Haziq Aiman, winner of the YSD Inspirational Award 2025, now working in Singapore as a BIM Modeler despite losing his family at a young age.
YSD also underscored the role of its THRIVE Programme, which equips scholars with soft skills, mentorship, leadership development, industrial internships and volunteerism opportunities to complement their academic and technical training.
With these latest awards, YSD has provided 6,238 scholarships worth over RM392 million since its establishment. Applications for the next scholarship cycle will open in March 2026 via the foundation’s website.
