Awang Tengah (centre) signing the plaque to symbolically officiate the college’s Excellence Awards Ceremony while Naroden (second left), Arni (second right) and others look on. – Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: Vocational colleges and technical training institutions play an important role in providing skilled talents for the labour market, says Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
In view of this, he pointed out the Sarawak government places great emphasis on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) which is regarded as the crucial vehicle to ensure that the state is able to produce skilled manpower.
He noted that vocational colleges and technical training institutions should also look into what sectors of industries should be given more emphasis as well as to collaborate with industry players.
“This is what we should be doing because otherwise there might be a skills mismatch as the skills we trained our students with might end up being unsuitable with the demands and needs of industries,” he said at the Kuching Vocational College Excellence Awards Ceremony held at the college premises here today.
Awang Tengah, who is also International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development Minister, stressed that in order for Sarawak to move forward, one of the ways is through industrial development assisted by the private sector which requires skilled workforce.
“The key to the labour market is skills and vocational colleges and technical training institutions are the answer to all related job positions in the labour market.”
He shared that at present, Kuching Vocational College students or trainees who have yet to graduate are already assured of employment having been “booked” by various industries.
“Furthermore, more than 90 per cent of the college’s graduates have also been employed in their respective fields,” he revealed.
Also present at the ceremony were Assistant Minister of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Naroden Majais and Kuching Vocational College director Arni Suhaili.