KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 — To ensure youths, especially those in rural areas, have the opportunity to improve their living standard, the Rural and Regional Development Ministry (KKDW) has set entrepreneurship empowerment via Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as one of its focal areas.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said KKDW would work with 12 other ministries to achieve the mission.

"We don’t move in silos, instead we are working with relevant ministries and will focus on empowering entrepreneurship courses through TVET. We will also work with financial institutions for financing purposes,” he said during a question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He said this in response to a question from Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad (BN-Parit Sulong) about the changes made to the Ministry to make it youth-friendly and concerned with issues related to the interests and development of rural communities.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said several initiatives were also implemented, including introducing the Right Start Programme (PSR) as well as carrying out reforms to empower TVET. — Bernama