Borneo Post, 6 September 2017

The participants of the World Skills Malaysia Sarawak 2017’s ‘Electrical Installation’ tryout undergo a series of tests at the Proactive Training Centre in Demak Laut, near Kuching.

KUCHING : Twenty-one students of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) are battling it out in the two-day pre-qualifier for the ‘Electrical Installation’ category of the World Skills Malaysia Sarawak 2017. The session, which kicked off at the Proactive Training Centre in Demak Laut here yesterday, gathered students from industrial training institutes (ILPs), Institut Kemahiran Mara (IKM) campuses and polytechnics from across the state, as well as those from Harina Consultancy.

Those who come out tops will book their spot in the finals, to take place at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) this Oct 27. According to state Skills Development Department (JPK) director Zaid Mat San, the competition is aimed at providing exposure and experience to participating TVET students. “The World Skills competition is a major name in skills-based education and we want to groom the local talents for them to be ready for bigger challenges and to be more competitive in their fields.” Zaid said the JPK is committed to ensuring students from various TVET institutions in Sarawak be given a platform for them ‘to shine and feel appreciated’.

“The competition serves as a platform for them to exhibit their technical capabilities; those who shine will definitely have this experience as an added value to their curriculum vitae. “Our department wants to change the perception of TVET not only among the public, but also among the technical students themselves. Some (people) still look at them (those with TVET skills) as normal workers, but they are actually skilled technical workers who can earn big salaries,” he said. Zaid also pointed out that that the electric and electrical field would need more specialists to cater for bigger demands that come with the state’s development. “I hope that the (TVET) students would be able to fulfil these demands, especially in connection with the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) projects,” he added.