The Pioneer Entrepreneur and Tunas Niaga (Protune) 2024, organised by the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS), has recorded a revenue of over RM2.6 million for the first half of this year, an increase of 8.3 per cent compared to the same period last year.
PKNS enterpreneur development manager Yuzawati Yusof said the entrepreneur programme, comprising 49 selected schools in Selangor, involves the participation of 1,250 students who established 49 companies by implementing the physical PROTUNe module over a period of 10 months, and through E-PROTUNe, which is online learning platform.
She said among PROTUNe’s learning modules is the organisation of sales promotions at the PKNS Complex in Shah Alam, which in 2023 was combined with the PKNS Entrepreneur Carnival (KUP) involving more mature and experienced entrepreneurs under the PKNS modular programmes.
"The most impressive part is that 31 PROTUNe sales booths generated a total sales amount of RM55,924.90 over the three-day KUP event in August, which is 12 per cent of the total sales value of KUP 2024 amounting to RM464,823 involving 123 booths," she said.
She said this during her speech at the PROTUNe 2024 Convention Ceremony here today. Selangor Youth, Sports and Entrepreneurship Committee chairman Mohd Najwan Halimi also attended the event.
Yuzawati said that over the 26 years of implementation, the PROTUNe programme has successfully established 1,182 companies involving 29,300 students with the guidance of 2,442 mentor teachers.
"The PROTUNe company, established in 2009, has successfully generated sales amounting to RM31.5 million, and this is a commendable achievement for the PKNS entrepreneur development division in discovering young entrepreneurial talents at the secondary school level," she said.
Meanwhile, Mohd Najwan in his speech also expressed pride in the students' achievements in venturing into entrepreneurship and urged those interested to be ready to incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) functions in facing current challenges.
"After this, AI might enter the field of entrepreneurship and we need to quickly grasp that technology, don't let technology control us, instead we should control the technology," he said.
Earlier at today’s ceremony, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Munsyi Abdullah was awarded the Best School for PROTUNe 2024 through the company, Nakhoda Annazhofah Sdn Bhd.
PROTUNe, which is a programme also supported by the Selangor State Education Department (JPS), aims to cultivate entrepreneurship among Bumiputera school students, with a focus on rural schools.
Through PROTUNe, students are given exposure, guidance, and comprehensive training to effectively start and manage a business, targeted at producing knowledgeable and successful entrepreneurs who can significantly contribute to the economic growth of Selangor.