If you run a café, restaurant, hotel, or any F&B operation in Malaysia, staff training is one of your biggest ongoing costs. And if you’re not using HRD Corp to offset that cost, you’re leaving money on the table.
Most business owners know HRD Corp exists. Far fewer realize that barista and coffee training qualifies — including internationally recognized programmes like the SCA Barista Skills Module.
This guide explains exactly how the scheme works, who qualifies, and how Lighthouse Coffee Academy can help your team get certified with minimal financial burden to your business.
What is HRD Corp?
HRD Corp — formerly known as HRDF (Human Resources Development Fund) — is a Malaysian government agency under the Ministry of Human Resources. Its purpose is to develop the skills and capabilities of the Malaysian workforce by funding employee training programmes.
Every eligible Malaysian employer contributes a levy to HRD Corp based on their monthly payroll. That levy sits in your company’s account and can be claimed back whenever you send staff for approved training.
If you’ve been paying the levy but not claiming, you’re essentially funding everyone else’s training while your own team misses out.
Does Coffee and Barista Training Qualify?
Yes — provided the training is delivered by a registered HRD Corp training provider.
Lighthouse Coffee Academy is a registered HRD Corp training provider. This means eligible companies can claim the cost of our barista and coffee courses — including SCA-certified programmes — directly through the HRD Corp portal.
This covers courses such as:
- SCA Barista Skills (Foundation, Intermediate Level)
- SCA Brewing (Foundation Level)
- Sensory Workshop
- Fundamentals of Barista Craft
- Corporate coffee workshops and team building programmes
For F&B businesses, this is significant. Coffee training directly impacts product quality, staff confidence, customer experience, and ultimately revenue — and the cost can be substantially reduced or fully covered depending on your levy balance.
Who is Eligible to Claim?
To claim HRD Corp training funds, your company needs to meet a few basic criteria:
Your company must be registered with HRD Corp. Malaysian employers in most industries with 10 or more employees are required to register and contribute the levy. Some industries with fewer employees may also be eligible — check the HRD Corp website or ask us and we’ll help you verify.
The employees attending must be Malaysian citizens. Foreign workers are not covered under HRD Corp.
The training must be conducted by a registered provider. This is where many companies fall short — they find a course they like but the provider isn’t registered, so the claim gets rejected. As a registered provider, Lighthouse Coffee Academy handles this correctly from the start.
The claim must be submitted before training begins (for SBL-Khas grants) or within the stipulated window after training. Timing matters — late submissions are not accepted.
How the Claim Process Works
The process is more straightforward than most people expect. Here’s how it typically works when you train with Lighthouse Coffee Academy:
Step 1 — Confirm your HRD Corp registration and levy balance Log in to the HRD Corp Employer Portal (e-TRiS) to check your account status and available balance. If you’re not sure how to do this, your HR department or company secretary can assist.
Step 2 — Choose your training programme Decide which course or courses you want to send your staff for, and how many employees will attend. We’ll provide you with a full training proposal including programme outline, dates, fees, and our HRD Corp provider registration details.
Step 3 — Submit the grant application For most claims, the application is submitted through the HRD Corp e-TRiS portal before the training commences. We’ll provide you with all the documentation you need — course outline, trainer credentials, venue details, and fee breakdown.
Step 4 — Attend training Your staff attend the course at our training centre in Penang or, for larger groups, we can arrange on-site training at your premises. Attendance records are kept according to HRD Corp requirements.
Step 5 — Submit claim documents after training Once training is complete, the final claim documents — including attendance sheets, invoices, and completion certificates — are submitted through the portal. HRD Corp processes the reimbursement to your company account.
The whole process, from application to reimbursement, typically takes four to six weeks. We’ve guided many companies through it and are happy to assist at every step.
What Types of Companies Typically Use This?
Across our corporate training clients, the most common businesses using HRD Corp to fund coffee training are:
Café groups and F&B chains — upskilling barista staff to a consistent standard across multiple outlets, often using the SCA Barista Skills Foundation as a baseline qualification for all front-of-house coffee staff.
Hotels and resorts — F&B teams responsible for in-room dining, restaurant, and lobby café coffee service. Hotel clients often prioritise the Sensory Skills and Barista Skills modules together.
Corporate offices — companies with in-house pantry or café facilities, training designated staff to operate espresso equipment properly and produce quality coffee for employees and guests.
Restaurants — particularly those positioning themselves at the mid to upper end of the market, where coffee quality is increasingly expected to match food quality.
Catering companies — teams that need to deliver consistent coffee service across events and venues.
If your business falls into any of these categories and you haven’t explored HRD Corp-funded coffee training yet, it’s worth a conversation.
How Much Can You Claim?
The claimable amount depends on your company’s levy contribution and available balance, the type of grant applied for, and the number of employees attending.
Under the SBL-Khas scheme (the most commonly used grant type), eligible companies can claim up to 100% of the approved training fee, subject to their levy balance and HRD Corp’s approved rate for the programme.
We’ll provide a full fee breakdown when we prepare your training proposal, so you’ll have a clear picture of what’s claimable before you commit to anything.
Why Train Your Team with Lighthouse Coffee Academy?
Beyond the HRD Corp credentials, here’s what makes Lighthouse Coffee Academy the right training partner for your business:
17 years of experience — we’ve been training baristas and coffee professionals in Malaysia since 2007. We understand the local industry, the challenges café operators face, and how to translate international coffee standards into practical, applicable skills for your team.
SCA-certified training — our SCA programmes are delivered and assessed to full international standards by certified trainers. Your staff earn credentials that are recognized globally, not just locally.
Flexible delivery — we can train at our facility in Penang or come to you for larger groups. We work around your operational schedule so training doesn’t disrupt your business.
HALAL-certified environment — all training and coffee products used are HALAL-certified, which matters for many of our corporate and hotel clients.
End-to-end support — from helping you navigate the HRD Corp application to issuing the right documentation for your claim, we handle the administrative side so you don’t have to.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’d like to explore HRD Corp-claimable coffee training for your team, the first step is a conversation. We’ll assess your team’s current skill level, recommend the right programme, and prepare a full training proposal with HRD Corp documentation included.
WhatsApp our training team or fill in our enquiry form here and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Related Link:
HRDcorp Homepage ⎯ https://hrdcorp.gov.my/#levypayment
Our Academy Page ⎯ https://www.lighthouse-coffee.com.my/academy-2/
Corporate Team Building page ⎯ https://www.lighthouse-coffee.com.my/academy-2/corporate-team-building/