Three bodies join hands to enhance engineering talent

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Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed

KUALA LUMPUR: In a concerted move to strengthen domestic engineering talent pool for key economic sectors, three organisations have joined hands to produce some 1,000 engineers in a year.

Talent Corporation, Malaysia Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) and Selangor Human Resource Development Centre yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to increase the size and quality of engineering talents via upskilling and apprenticeship engineering programmes.

International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said skilled engineers’ shortage in the country was manageable as there was enough graduates’ supply from the universities. However, specified-area skilled engineers were lacking to meet the needs of the economy, he said.

“Through the three-party collaboration, undergraduates’ employability will be enhanced for careers in the electronics, electrical, oil and gas, telecommunications and information technology sectors.

“The programmes will be targeted at local fresh graduates with engineering degrees involving both classroom training and apprenticeships with 70 companies, including foreign firms,” he told a press conference after the MoU signing.

The 1,000 engineers would be trained in competencies on high value-added technologies and research and development, benefiting over 50 companies, he said, adding that more of such programmes would be implemented next year.

In addition to upskilling programmes, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) and Talent Corp would leverage on four initiatives to enhance engineering talent supply to key employers in the Economic Transformation Programme.

The initiatives were structured internship programmes, scholarships to woo and retain talents, returning experts’ programme and facilitating top foreign engineering students, Mustapa said.

“The initiatives announced today will have a very positive impact on the pool of technical talents that will be available to the nation.

“A lot of efforts have been put into to develop these initiatives and I am particularly delighted to see the private sector working with Mida and Talent Corp to bring these programmes to fruition,” he said.

Meanwhile, MIGHT president and chief executive officer Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman said they would be offering advanced green composites training programme to further accelerate development of composites industries, particularly advanced composites, for aerospace applications.

With increasing environmental awareness, he said, the demand for new eco-friendly materials, like green composites, was likely to replace traditional petroleum-based products.

“To address highly-skilled workers’ shortage in the industry, MIGHT is working via upskilling and apprenticeship programmes to churn out industry-specific engineers. The graduates will be tailored to the companies’ needs,” he said.

He said increasing investments coming into Malaysia mirrored companies’ confidence in Malaysia’s human capital supply. — Bernama