Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet) has completed the second cohort of Program Akar, preparing 50 AWS-trained graduates for Malaysia’s financial services industry.
Program Akar Powered by AWS re/Start, delivered through World Education Placement Services (WEPS), offers no-cost cloud and digital payments training to help close Malaysia’s digital skills gap and support pathways into the financial sector.
The initiative aligns with the government’s push for stronger digital capabilities, highlighted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who noted that multinational companies now expect young Malaysians to build skills beyond the traditional academic syllabus.
“The future of the industry depends on a strong, digital-ready talent pipeline.
PayNet’s Program Akar is helping shape that future by equipping emerging talent with relevant skills, hands-on industry experience, and the confidence to thrive in a tech-driven world,”
said Shafenaz Farouk, Chief People Officer, PayNet.
The programme initially enrolled 100 students, with 50 forming the first pilot cohort at the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU).
Bank Negara Malaysia, Maybank, Public Bank, CIMB and Bank Islam have expressed interest in exploring placement pathways for graduates.
PayNet shaped the curriculum to meet sector needs, while AWS provided cloud services, training resources and technical expertise.
Participants completed 14 weeks of cloud and payments training, including a two-day values-driven development module.
Graduates received the AWS re/Start Certificate of Completion, the AWS Cloud Practitioner certificate, a Digital Payments Certificate and the Values-Driven Enrichment Programme Certificate of Completion.
“Cloud skills are fundamental to how Malaysia’s financial institutions run, innovate, and scale, and they now form the backbone for Malaysia’s next phase of AI-driven transformation. PayNet has taken a leadership role in recognising this shift and investing early in a talent pipeline that is not only cloud-ready but AI-ready.
Through Program Akar Powered by AWS re/Start, participants gain the practical capabilities needed to contribute immediately to the financial services ecosystem, from modern digital payments to emerging AI applications. AWS is proud to deepen our collaboration with PayNet and will continue supporting the growth of a highly skilled Malaysian workforce that can accelerate the nation’s ambitions in digital finance and responsible AI innovation,”
said Hussein Mohd. Ali, Country Manager, AWS Malaysia.
AWS re/Start operates in more than 60 countries, with 98 percent of graduates securing job interview opportunities.
It is part of AWS’ free training programmes, which have trained over 31 million learners across 200 countries and territories.
