Kuala lumpur: Twenty aspiring entrepreneurs graduated today from the CGC100 Youth Entrepreneurship Programme Fast Track Cohort Two, an initiative by Credit Guarantee Corporation Malaysia Bhd (CGC). Conducted in collaboration with PINTAR Foundation and supported by the Ministry of Education, the programme targets aspiring entrepreneurs aged between 18 and 23 from B40 and M40 communities.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, CGC chairman Datuk Mohammed Hussein emphasized that the initiative goes beyond equipping participants with basic business skills, focusing on instilling values to build ethical, sustainable, and resilient ventures. He stated, "This six-month programme serves as a platform to teach fundamental business skills, but more importantly, it aims to instil values in running a business. Sustainable and resilient businesses can only be achieved through active participation, not just by owning shares." He shared these insights with reporters after the CGC100 Fast Track Cohort Two Graduation Ceremony and the Fast Track Cohort Three Launching.
The CGC100 Youth Entrepreneurship Programme has so far produced 70 graduates, including those from the 12-month Comprehensive Track programme, and has created 61 new jobs. Impressively, 64 per cent of participants earn more than RM10,000 per month. The programme's impact spans 20 industries, with 80 per cent of graduates successfully registering their businesses with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), and 71 per cent of financing applicants securing the full amount requested.
The upcoming Fast Track Cohort Three, scheduled from August 2025 to February 2026, will enrol 30 participants in a six-month curriculum covering business fundamentals, environmental, social, and governance (ESG), branding, the digital economy, financial literacy, and pitching. Mohammed indicated that the third cohort might also feature new elements, including artificial intelligence (AI), to prepare participants for future business challenges. "The new element we want to introduce is the digital impact of AI. If AI develops exponentially, tasks we once thought only humans could do will no longer be the case. It is both exciting and scary, so we must first create awareness while instilling the right values," he noted.
Graduate Carmelina Taunek, 21, shared that the programme had significantly improved her financial management skills and boosted her hydroponic farming business in Keningau, Sabah. "When we started, our monthly sales were only around RM300, but now we reach about RM2,000. This programme really changed the way we run our business," she said. Another graduate, Ali Iskandar Padzil, 24, mentioned that the training had refined his business management approach for his fresh chicken supply company in Kepala Batas, Penang, enhancing team management and operational structure.