RM6 million has been allocated under the Tenth Malaysia Plan to assist SMEs with insufficient levy to continuously retrain and upgrade their employees' skills.

The training incentive, on reimbursement or claim basis, is equivalent to the course fee or an internal trainer's allowance. Other allowable costs are not eligible as claims under this incentive. Employers could claim these other costs from their HRD levy account.

Eligibility for incentive is as follows:

Employers are to check their eligibility status by logging into the Employers Information System (EIS) at www.hrdf.com.my. PSMB shall not be held responsible if employers lose their eligibility status even though the maximum number of claims is not fully utilised.

Employers lose their eligibility when the number of employees is exceeded in a particular month and if there are arrears in levy or unpaid interests.

The incentive is allocated according to the number of SMEs in each state and disbursed on a first come first served basis for training commencing on or after April 1, 2011.

The incentive covers the following training schemes: SBL using Internal Trainer; SBL-Khas; PROLUS; PERLA; SME-TAP; SME OJT; Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL); Future Workers and HRDF Workshops. SME employers with insufficient levy balance are encouraged to attend training under the PROLUS Scheme.

Programmes not covered are: SBL using External Trainer; purchase of training equipment and setting up of training room; IT and computer based training; Juruplan; SME TNA consultancy; industrial training; apprenticeship and motivational/teambuilding programmes.

Disbursement is through the E-Disbursement system. Employers and training providers must register their bank account with PSMB using forms PSMB/e-disbursement/1/10 and PSMB/e-disbursement/2/08, which could be downloaded from www.hrdf.com.my.