KUCHING: Collaboration between Politeknik Kuching Sarawak and industries should stay active but at the same time, it should also be examined regularly for effectiveness to ensure that it continues to benefit both parties.
At the same time, the management board of the polytechnic must always be alert to the need of providing ample facilities such as lecture rooms and workshops with enough equipment that is relevant to the technology used in the industry.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said this at the opening of Politeknik Kuching Sarawak 24th convocation at its campus here yesterday.
His text of speech was read Assistant Minister for Housing Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Abang Johari, who is also Housing and Urbanisation Minister, said meeting the demand of related employment remained a big challenge because the industrial sector was still relying on foreign workers.
“The state government hopes that the 54 public TVET (technical vocational education and training) institutes and 35 private TVET institutes would empower themselves in their roles and capabilities. Apart from increasing enrolment, the quality of graduates must be prioritised to meet the needs of potential employers.”
A total of 1,315 graduates across seven programmes from the June 2015-December 2016 session received their diplomas.
Abang Johari advised them to not consider this mere means to get a job, but to use it to find better ways of improving themselves, either through further education or practical training.
“The diploma is a first step for you to go further,” he said.
Politeknik Kuching Sarawak director-general Datuk Mohlis Jaafar and director Muhamad Rumzi Mamat were also present at the convocation ceremony.
According to Muhamad Rumzi, graduates from Politeknik Kuching have 92.4 per cent employability rate.
“We are one of the five polytechnics in the country chosen to run the ‘Integrated Cumulative Grade Point Average (iCGPA)’ where a student will be evaluated through their academics, co-curriculum and community service,” he said in his speech.
In addition, Politeknik Kuching Sarawak is also in the process of getting recognition as a ‘Centre of Technology’ (COT) in the niche area of ‘Petrochemical Engineering’.
“With both the iCGPA and – hopefully – the COT recognition, I am confident that the image of this polytechnic will get a boost among other TVET institutes in Sarawak,” said Muhamad Rumzi.
Politeknik Kuching Sarawak has produced 23,054 graduates since its first convocation in 1993. It currently have 5,236 students enrolled, including those who are on industrial training.
Of the 1,315 who graduated yesterday, 326 are from the Diploma of Civil Engineering programme, 301 from Mechanical Engineering, 165 from Accountancy, 141 from Petrochemical Engineering, 109 from Electronic Communication Engineering, and 98 from Business Studies.
Gender-wise, there are 799 male graduates and 516 female graduates.