Start vocational education junior level in school — Lee

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Datuk Lee Kim Shin

MIRI: Introducing vocational education at the junior level in school will help nurture interest in the skills and technical professions.

Communications Assistant Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin said this in supporting a resolution of Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU) to urge the Education Ministry to start vocational education in Form 1 and not Form 3 as is the current practice.

This resolution was revealed by STU president William Ghani Bina at a press conference last Sunday.

“Vocational education should be started in Form 1 to prepare enough local human capital for the skills and technical industry.”

Lee who is also chairman of the Panel Advisory Committee for National Youth Skill Institut (IKBN) Miri and Industry Training Institute (ILP) Miri said the move was needed to explore opportunities created by Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).

He therefore urged students to take any skills related course in view of their high demand.

The change in the job market, called for students to be farsighted as skills and technical based courses were credited as a vital human capital development tool for transforming Malaysia into a fully industrialised country by year 2020.

Thus those not academically inclined should go for vocational education which promises a bright future.

Rapid growth in the industry give rise to plenty of work opportunities for skilled and trained workers in line with the government effort to promote lifelong learning.

It would make the state and country less dependent on foreign skilled workers.

Lee said Sarawak was still short of qualified vocational trainers and lecturers, so local skills training institutes were still depending on academic support from the peninsula.

He cited IKBN Miri as an example where 25 per cent of the academic workforce at the institute came from the peninsula.