KUCHING: Sarawak became the first to launch the state-level Bumiputera Technology Club (KTB) mooted by GiatMara Malaysia and its strategic partner Utusan Malaysia yesterday.
The club, which had its nationwide launch in Johor recently, aims to encourage more youths to enter the vocational and skills industry.
“The forming of this club is timely as it will encourage more students to become the manpower needed at Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy,” said Semariang state assemblywoman Sharifah Hasidah Aman Ghazali who launched the state-level club at Kampung Lintang hall, Petra Jaya.
She said students who enrolled with GiatMara must be above 15 years old and would be given free training, uniforms and learning materials throughout the course.
Sharifah Hasidah said some of the programmes in GiatMara are specially designed for people with disabilities (OKU), hardcore poor, and single parents.
“This is inline with GiatMara’s mission to provide lifelong learning through the 1Malaysia training programme,” said Sharifah Hasidah who is also a political secretary to the chief minister.
Currently there are 231 GiatMara centres throughout Malaysia.
On another note, Sharifah said the government had splurged millions of ringgit to provide a platform for the people’s education.
“That is what we do in Barisan Nasional – deliver to the people and Janji Ditepati,” said Sharifah Hasidah.
During the launch, certificates were given to students who attended short courses conducted by GiatMara in Sarawak.
Mara state director Shazali Salleh said the club was inline with the government’s vision to produce the one person, one skill (1Insan, 1 Kemahiran) concept.
He said under the 1Azam programme to eradicate poverty, GiatMara was offering courses to the hardcore poor for them to acquire skills and earn a living.