Enhancing the building blocks of skills and knowledge

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SEGi: Making the grade through education

SEGi Sarawak principal Elina Tiu

In order to push Sarawak from being a developing state to a developed state the state government has implemented Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) to achieve  three times the current capita income by 2020.

Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud noted that there would be more emphasis placed on human capital besides innovation once SCORE took off changing the landscape of the state’s central region. When the momentum of the development in SCORE was at its peak, less people would be talking about infrastructure development.

He anticipated 52 per cent of workers in the state would be skilled workers with universities stepping in to provide the much needed training, thus helping employers focus on their main businesses rather than spending millions on staff training.

Anticipating this urgent need for skilled and knowledgeable workers, universities have readily stepped up to take on this extremely vital challenge which is the foundation of the nation.

Petaling Jaya- based SEGi University College is no newcomer to the education scene and it is destined to play a pivotal role in the nation’s roadmap as the only educational institution to be named as the champion for two Entry Point Projects (EPPs).

SEGi was appointed the champion of Early Childhood and Childcare Education (ECCE) by the Ministry of Education to upgrade the qualification of ECCE practitioners nationwide.

The Group was also appointed by the Malaysian government through the Ministry of Human Resource as Project Leader for a new initiative to bring in foreign trainees and learners to Malaysia, an initiative called SkillsMalaysia International Technical Education and Vocational Training Programme (SkillsMalaysia INVITE).

In East Malaysia, SEGi College Sarawak (SEGi Sarawak) stands as one of the largest and oldest private colleges in Borneo, offering a range of industry-driven programmes approved by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia (foundation, diploma, degree and postgraduate (MBA).

SEGi Sarawak principal Elina Tiu told BizHive Weekly, “I believe that the state government has on-going plans to make Sarawak the choice when it comes to being a regional education hub and we are already on the path to turning this into a reality.

“This is a group effort by the government and institutions of higher learning that have made Sarawak as their base of operations. We are already seeing many international students here. It takes time to build a reputation in the region and beyond,” she pointed out.

On SEGi Sarawak’s role in equipping students to join the workforce smoothly, Tiu elaborated, “We work closely with industry players to make sure that our graduates are what they are looking for. Many of our students now undergo internships in their degree or diploma programmes and most companies will grab these students who have impressed them. We are certain we have taken the right steps as over 90 per cent of last years’ students are gainfully employed and that is in itself a feat,” she revealed.

A majority of its students are Sarawakians, though the numbers of Sabahans are growing as well as West Malaysians and internationals students.

“Through our collaborations with foreign universities partners from UK, Australia and the US, we provide students with the opportunity to secure degrees from internationally recognised universities while studying in their very own home country.

“Since its establishment in the 80’s until today, the college has a strong proven record, whereby thousands of graduates have passed through our doors and gone on to secure successful careers. We are the only private education institution to offer law programmes in East Malaysia,” she added.

On expansion plans, she said that they were on the cards but currently SEGi Sarawak was in the stage of opening up recruitment centres in other locations in Sarawak. “Our first one was set up last month in Sibu and our corporate office will decide when it is time to set up a branch campus in other areas. We have also activley ventured into the international market over a year ago and our growth in this area is very encouraging,” she said.

“Our main campus in the heart of Kuching offers programmes in the fields of management, accountancy, hospitality, law and IT. The newly opened Faculty of Nursing and Allied Health currently offers the Diploma in Nursing, Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology and the Diploma in Environmental Health,” she revealed.

A third campus was a training centre where vocational and hands-on courses were conducted offering a range of certificates that allowed students to seek careers in automotive maintenance, tourism, desktop publishing, hospitality and customer service, she added.

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