KUCHING: Sarawak Skills Development Centre (PPKS), through one of its subsidiary companies – International College of Advanced Technology Sarawak (i-CATS) – will set up College of Smart Agriculture (CoSA) in Mukah.
PPKS chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husain said the Ministry of Education has approved the project to build the college, which is scheduled to be completed in August this year.
He pointed out that the decision to set up CoSA was taken following a call by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg for PPKS to develop and offer courses that facilitate the use of digital technologies in agriculture.
“Our (PPKS) new campus in Mukah, which is scheduled to complete in August 2019, will be converted into CoSA that will accommodate 700 students, to offer courses such as aquaculture, precision farming and agro marketing to facilitate the application of the latest technology to transform the state’s agricultural sector,” he said.
Having CoSA will increase agricultural output and encourage the development of sustainable agricultural practices by farmers, he added.
He said this at the opening of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) symposium at Pullman Hotel here yesterday, officiated by Abang Johari.
Abdul Aziz also said that PPKS plans to set up an Advanced Automotive Training College in the near future,
which will go a long way in enhancing the range of TVET courses to support the state government’s development initiatives.
At the event, PPKS exchanged documents for memorandum of cooperation with Bendigo Kangan Institute, Melbourne in Australia, which Abdul Aziz said would pave the way to identify strategic initiatives such as education and training, teachers’ training, joint research and development projects.
He pointed out that TVET has gained increasing importance as the government, industry and TVET training providers strive to develop the workforce to support numerous development initiatives.
Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong said like other developing countries and to fulfil the aspiration of the government for Sarawak to become a high income society and advanced economy, there was a need to improve human capital through TVET.
For this programme, he said the ministry was working together with other agencies and non-governmental organisations to promote TVET among the community and school leavers in rural areas.
Manyin was happy to note that TVET was receiving positive response and perception from parents and students unlike in the past, where it was considered as a last resort.
Manyin hoped that the symposium can deliberate on using the English language and on quality consistency for the courses offered in TVET institutions to benefit the industry and the graduates.
A total of 23 speakers from the country and overseas were invited to provide input for the three-day symposium, which runs until tomorrow.