KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 — In line with the Ministry of Human Resources’ mission to address youth unemployment and accelerate digital inclusion, the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) and homegrown social impact enterprise Pepper Labs have joined forces under the Google Gemilang initiative. This pioneering collaboration marks another significant stride in Pepper Labs’ decade-long journey of impact and nation-building through technology, innovation and strategic partnerships.
Having empowered over 300,000 Malaysians with AI fluency and future-ready digital skills, Pepper Labs now works closely with public sector stakeholders to integrate AI solutions into the transformation of governance and service delivery. This partnership exemplifies Pepper Labs’ unique positioning as a trusted enabler of Malaysia’s digital and socioeconomic agenda.
Under the scholarship, unemployed Malaysian youth are offered fully sponsored scholarships to access globally recognised certifications in high-demand areas such as AI, cybersecurity, data analytics, project management and digital marketing, curated by Google and delivered via www.coursera.org/google-career-certificates. The programme bridges the education-to-employment gap and supports the national goal to build a future-ready, digitally skilled workforce.
Perkeso, under the strategic direction of the Ministry of Human Resources, facilitates candidate identification through its MYFutureJobs platform and career fairs, while Pepper Labs, as the lead implementation partner, delivers end-to-end support, ranging from technical skills, 21st century skills, soft and living skills, future of works related skills to job placement support, ensuring graduates are well-positioned to secure meaningful employment.
“The Ministry of Human Resources is committed to empowering our youth with skills that match the demands of tomorrow’s economy. Through this partnership between Perkeso and Pepper Labs, we are ensuring that unemployed graduates are not left behind in the digital transition. This initiative is a testament to our belief in the potential of our young talent and our resolve to uplift them with meaningful, globally recognised opportunities,” said Steven Sim, Minister of Human Resources.
Farhan Qureshi, Director of Google Malaysia said “Today, we are proud to expand our Google Gemilang to benefit more Malaysians, by working with forward-thinking partners like Perkeso and Pepper Labs. The endeavour reflects the commitment of Google to playing a vital role in order to ensure the growth of the country’s digital ecosystem, advancing Malaysia together. The certification program will provide new opportunities, allowing unemployment graduates to find new opportunities”.
As an entity recognised by the Government for its consistent impact-driven innovation, Pepper Labs was most recently recognised by Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim under Budget 2025, with a national commitment to establish community cloud kitchens across underserved communities, further expanding its role in inclusive job creation and local enterprise development.
This tripartite collaboration reflects a shared commitment to nation-building, digital empowerment and inclusive economic recovery. By investing in human capital and fostering public-private partnerships, Malaysia moves one step closer to achieving its digital aspirations under the Malaysia Madani vision. This pilot initiative sets the foundation for a scalable model that could benefit even more Malaysian youth in the future.
The first group of participants began their training on 26 May 2025, with candidates identified through Perkeso’s outreach efforts. While enrolment is currently by invitation, interested graduates may reach out to Pepper Labs at info@pepperlabs.my to express interest and learn about future opportunities under this initiative.