MUKAH: The government is looking to transform polytechnics into global status institutions of technical education that produce quality human capital to fulfill its Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) agenda and New Economic Model (NEM) that stresses innovation and creativeness.
Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said in line with the National Higher Education Strategic Plan (NHESP), polytechnics serve to produce first class human capital that meets market demand.
“Polytechnics have to address changes in the nation’s higher education which not only require knowledgeable but skilled human capital.
“In view of this, the future generation is Malaysia’s most significant human capital as part of efforts to achieve developed nation status by 2020 in line with the Government Transformation Programme launched by the prime minister on April 3, 2008,” he said.
His speech was read by Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah at the 6th Mukah Polytechnic (PMU) Convocation at the PMU multi-purpose hall here yesterday.
Taib urged PMU to remain sensitive to the development of the national and world economic landscape.
He said courses offered should be relevant to current demands while injected with soft-skills, multi-tasking and entrepreneurial elements.
Fatimah presented 850 graduates with their diplomas and certificates at the convocation. She said there were around 100 jobs in the engineering field as well as electrical and mechanical specialisation at Press Metal Sarawak.
“This window of opportunity should be utilised by graduates especially those who have completed their courses. The jobs enable application of what has been learnt,” she said.
Among those attending the ceremony were Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Promotion of Technical Education) Datu Len Talif Salleh, Jemoreng assemblyman Abu Seman Jahwie, Mukah Resident Supaih Hamdan and PMU director Abdubrani Yunus.