More TVET institutes to be set up for working adults

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Kulasegaran (second right) presents financial assistance to Voon Kwet Kiong while (from left) Amir, Philip and Mahfuz look on.

KUCHING: The Ministry of Human Resources will provide  more TVET (Technical Vocational Education Training) institutes for working adults to take up courses from 5.30pm until 11pm daily.

Its minister, M. Kulasegaran, said the government recognises TVET as one of the keys for Malaysia to become a developed nation.

“It is important to have trained and skilled workforce in Malaysia, which now stands at only 30 per cent (short of 35 pct target) of the labour force.

“As such, the government would cooperate with foreign countries in order to meet the target of 35 percent of skilled labour in Malaysia,” he said.

M. Kulasegaran said among others measures was to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China and to seek cooperation with Iran.

“We are going to Iran to learn and see what skills they have in the effort to improve Malaysia’s skilled workforce. We are encouraging more Malaysians to come forward and get TVET trainings. You can do it full time while those who are unable to come full time, we are opening TVETs from 5.30pm until 11pm,” he said during a walkabout at Stutong Community market here, yesterday.

“Skills play a huge role in a country’s prosperity. No country can develop, no country progresses very well unless a substantial portion of its people and workers are trained,” he said.

“Having our very own skilled workers would reduce the country’s dependence on foreign workers and we hope by 2020, we will be able to achieve 35 per cent skilled workers,” he added.

On Social Security Organisation (Socso), Kulasegaran said it plays a more effective role to reach out to a vast majority of the people in this country and is a safety net, especially for the B40 group.

He said he would  make recommendations to the Finance Ministry to consider extending coverage for farmers, fishermen and other categories of employment which are not included now.

“My dream is that all workers in the country are covered by Socso like other developed countries, where 100 per cent of their workers are covered by insurance provided by their government,” he said.

The ministry’s deputy minister Datuk Mahfuz Omar, its secretary-general Datuk Amir Omar and Socso state director Philip Sangkan were among those who took part in the walkabout.