WorldSkills Malaysia Sarawak Competition offers 15 categories

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Mahfuz (left) greets Abang Johari during the courtesy call. — Photo by Chimon Upon

KUCHING: The WorldSkills Malaysia Sarawak Competition (WSMS) 2019 to be held here from Sept 9-13 will see participants compete in 15 fields of expertise.

Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Mahfuz Omar said the categories have been increased from 11 when the competition was last held in Sarawak in 2017.

“We have decided to increase the number of categories to give more opportunities to students from public skills training institutions (ILKA), private skills training institutions (ILKS), public and private universities in Sarawak to participate in WSMS,” he told a press conference after paying Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg a courtesy call at his office in Wisma Bapa Malaysia here yesterday.

He pointed out that the four new categories which will be introduced at WSMS are IT software solution for business, web technology, IT network system administration, and mechanical design CAD (computer-aided design).

The competition, which is jointly organised by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Research and Department of Skills Development (DSD) Sarawak under the Ministry of Human Resources, also includes other categories namely welding, electrical installation, brick-laying, painting and decorating, cooking, refrigeration and air-conditioning, automobile technology, fashion technology, beauty therapy, hairdressing, and restaurant service.

Mahfuz said WSMS serves as a starting point in identifying Sarawak youths with high skills who can then go on to compete at higher levels such as the national-level WorldSkills Malaysia Youth (WSMB), Asean Skills Competition (ASC) and WorldSkills Competition (WSC).

He thus called on skilled youths aged 21 and below to take on the challenge at WSMS to prove that Sarawak’s youths are also capable of making the country proud at the world level.

Citing the upcoming WSC Kazan 2019 in Russia from Aug 22-27, he noted that two Sarawakians are part of the 20-member Malaysian contingent who will be participating in 20 fields of expertise.

“Hanafi Osman from GiatMara Saratok will be competing in the fashion technology category whereas Ahmad Naim Mohamad Rosli from Akademi Binaan Malaysia (ABM) Sarawak will be competing in the painting and decorating category,” he said, adding that in preparation for the country’s participation at WSC Kazan, the participants are currently undergoing intensive training under the guidance of appointed national experts.

“We also have 13 participants from the national contingent including Hanafi competing at the Australia Global Skills Challenge in Melbourne, Australia from today (April 10) until April 14 to expose them to international competitions.”

Meanwhile, Mahfuz said a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Carnival will also be organised in conjunction with WSMS to promote TVET streams to the community particularly secondary school students.

“We want to educate students that in addition to an academic education pathway, there is also TVET which has become a viable pathway that offers a compelling career path.”

He added that the carnival will include programmes such as job fair, trainee recruitment interviews, skills seminars and demonstration, dialogue with industry players, exhibition and various skills-related programmes.