In the government's bid to bring back and retain local talents, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today launched two career programmes for PSD scholars.

Scholars will have two options under the new plans - either join the civil service under the Talent Acceleration in Public Service (Taps) programme or go into the private sector under the Scholarship Talent Attraction and Retention (Star) plan.

It is understood that the PSD will be responsible for selecting candidates for both programmes, with a pilot batch of 40 scholars expected to take up various positions in the goverment under the Taps plan this October.

NONE Applicants who do not make the cut under Taps would then be brought under the Star programme, allowing them to serve out their scholarship bonds with leading companies.

Najib said described Taps as an "innovation" by the Public Service Department to transform the civil service into a "career of choice" among graduates.

He explained that candidates selected under Taps would work on "high-priority public policy issues and projects" with senior civil servants as their mentors, aside from continued training at the Razak School of Government.

The selected "top scholars" would be given an initial two-year contract, though high performers would be fast-tracked into the civil service.

"In other words, they will be working to find solutions to issues and concerns that directly impact their fellow Malaysians.

"I am sure that some of you here admire positions in the civil service and this is the right platform," he said in his speech when launching the two programmes.

TalentCorp will also play a role

Najib said PSD scholars can also seek employment with over 50 companies and organisations that have a direct stake in the national key economic areas, with some scholars already engaged under an earlier pilot initiative under the Star plan.

He said under the Star programme, scholars could work with major organisations such as Bank Negara Malaysia, Khazanah Nasional, Intel, Shell Malaysia, Maxis, PricewaterhouseCoopers, CIMB Bank and Teach for Malaysia, among others.

TalentCorp will play a role here in facilitating engagement between PSD scholars and employers, part of the corporation's broader efforts to raising awareness of "attractive professional opportunities" under the ETP among Malaysian students and professionals abroad.

"... By working with the government and companies in the national key economic areas, you are in effect advancing the GTP and ETP.

"We must learn to adapt and leverage on our diversity and different strengths. Always be open to learning new things and be innovative.

"I make no pretense that the passage we have committed to undertake is an easy one. But it is a journey that is to be undertaken by all Malaysians, together," Najib said.