SHAH ALAM, June 7 — The Selangor Frontliner Apprenticeship Programme (SELFA), developed by Universiti Selangor (UNISEL), serves as a health sciences education model centred on guaranteed employment to support sustainable workforce development.
UNISEL Faculty of Health Sciences dean Mohd Sharikh Dali Mahad said the programme, known as the SELFA-Hospital Sponsorship Programme (HSP), was introduced in 2021 through strategic collaborations with private hospitals acting as sponsors, offering full scholarships to Diploma in Nursing students.
He said the sponsorship covers full tuition fees, a monthly living allowance of between RM500 and RM1,150 from sponsoring hospitals, and guaranteed employment upon graduation. Accommodation and learning requirements are fully covered by UNISEL throughout the duration of study.
“We launched the first intake in November 2021 with the aim of accelerating the growth of UNISEL’s Faculty of Health Sciences and enabling it to play a greater role in supporting the national healthcare ecosystem, which is facing a worsening nursing shortage.
“SELFA-HSP was established through close collaboration between the faculty and industry partners, whereby hospitals bear the full cost of students’ education, allowances and future career placement at sponsoring hospitals,” he told Media Selangor.
He said the programme began with two private hospitals as sponsors — Sri Kota Specialist Medical Centre Klang and Gleneagles Hospital Johor — and has since expanded to include 17 strategic hospital partners across Peninsular Malaysia.
As of April, a total of 183 UNISEL students had received sponsorships through SELFA-HSP, with a combined value of approximately RM14.9 million.
“In short, students who join this programme at UNISEL only need to bring their determination and commitment to study. Everything else is provided, including a living allowance from the first month. We hope the programme can be expanded further for students in Selangor,” he said.
Better opportunities for Selangor students
Commenting on future plans, Mohd Sharikh said UNISEL continues to explore new opportunities to expand SELFA so that more young people, particularly SPM leavers interested in pursuing studies in health sciences, can benefit from the initiative.
To that end, he said UNISEL has partnered with SELGATE Healthcare and, with the full support of the Selangor government, introduced a new SELFA package known as the SELFA-Guaranteed Employment Programme (GEP), announced under the Selangor Budget 2026 with an allocation of RM4.74 million.
He said SELFA-GEP is expected to be offered starting with the August 2026 intake and will benefit 55 students from Selangor, positioning the state as a pioneer in higher education reform based on employability through an employment-linked education model.
“God willing, we will introduce SELFA-GEP with funding from the Selangor government, and we hope to implement it beginning with the August 2026 intake,” he said.
Unlike SELFA-HSP, which is limited to the Diploma in Nursing programme, SELFA-GEP will provide broader opportunities for Selangor students who have completed their SPM to pursue free studies in other health sciences fields at UNISEL, including Diploma programmes in Physiotherapy, Medical Imaging and Medical Laboratory Technology.
“They will also receive a monthly living allowance of RM1,000 throughout the 36 months of study at UNISEL,” he said.
In tabling the Selangor Budget 2026, Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari announced an allocation of RM4.74 million for SELFA to produce competent and competitive frontline healthcare workers through education funding.
He said the programme provides opportunities for students to pursue critical healthcare courses, including Diploma programmes in Nursing, Physiotherapy, Medical Imaging and Medical Laboratory Technology, over a three-year study period.
