Course must match market demand – Fatimah

KUCHING: Students are advised to make sure their selection of courses match market demands.

In giving this reminder, Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Datuk Fatimah Abdullah said it was important to be realistic and pragmatic when choosing a field of study.

“Students must consider what they want for their future and see if their choice of course will make them employable.

“Make sure the courses you take match market demands. Even though we have our own dreams of what we want to become, we have to be practical as environment and market demand change,” she said prior to the opening of the eighth edition of Borneo Post International Education Fair (BPIEF) 2017 at Vivacity Megamall yesterday.

The minister, who is also BPIEF patron, added that with the recent release of STPM results as well as SPM results to be released on March 16, school leavers had to be proactive in checking out all the education fairs to decide what courses they should take.

“A message we want to send to parents and students is to get the right information, whether it is about academic or skills training.

“As the country advances technologically and more industries are being set up, a career path in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) would be a good choice to consider as jobs in these fields will continue to grow.

‘Having right tools can shape our future’

“For those not academically inclined, they should take the opportunity to be trained in whatever skills their natural gifts and preference lead them. These are of equal importance as vocational training can lead to productive lives and financial independence,” she said, while commending BPIEF organisers for never failing to invite those in the skills training field to take part in the fair.

Fatimah added that entrepreneurship was another field that students could consider as an alternative career path to generate their own income.

“A number of colleges and universities are now encouraging entrepreneurial activities with the hope they would venture into businesses to have an income upon graduation. Through entrepreneurship, students would have alternative ways of earning income instead of waiting for government jobs.

“Getting the right tools and learning or skills will shape our future, and to do so we must have the right information.

“This is why we are encouraging students and their parents to visit BPIEF where there are counsellors, educationists and institution representatives to assist in planning your education path.

“Working adults may also take the opportunity to chart their career path by looking at skills certifications on offer,” she said.

Earlier in her speech, The Borneo Post and Utusan Borneo editorial director and general operations manager Phyllis Wong likened BPIEF to a road map showing students the right way.

“BPIEF assembles representatives of universities, colleges, higher learning institutions and training centres under one roof with a common objective to enlighten students and their parents on the availability of suitable courses that will help to determine their career paths and shape their future with financial considerations.

“Correct information is the key to saving time and maximising resources. When the wrong courses are chosen, the inevitable consequence of such a misstep is difficulty in finding job offerings after graduation, which must be avoided.

“Education is a very important investment families make to give their children a better tomorrow. This goes hand-in-and with government’s aspiration to provide quality education and training programmes to develop and augment our intellectual capital for the good of the state and nation,” she said.

Phyllis said due to the weakening ringgit and government’s cut in scholarships for studies in foreign universities, many students might find that they could not find their way into foreign universities.

“Don’t give up. There are ways to realise your dreams and it is through hard work, diligence and determination. There is no shortcut, but there are information and advice available here at BPIEF to help you make your decision,” she said, adding that it was The Borneo Post’s corporate social responsibility to give back to the society that had supported the newspapers’ operations for over 40 years.

Samarahan Municipal Council chairman Datuk Peter Minos, Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang, Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How, PKR Women national vice chief Voon Shiak Ni, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak deputy vice chancellor and chief executive officer Professor Janet Gregory, See Hua Group area manager Wong Sing Seng and BPIEF chairman and head of Online Operations Dorge Rajah were among those present at the opening ceremony.