Lokman presents the certificate to an IKBN Miri student, as (from left) Mohd Yusuf and Wasitah look on.
MIRI: The National Skills Institute for Youths (IKBN) Miri has been designated as the training hub of oil and gas (O&G), automotive and hospitality industries for Sarawak and Sabah.
The initiative is part of the transformation programme involving 20 Youth and Sports Ministry Training Institutes (ILKBS) nationwide.
According to Youth and Sports Ministry secretary-general Dato’ Lokman Hakim Ali, the objectives of this initiative are to improve the training programmes at ILKBS, as well as to ensure IKBN graduates are marketable and able to land better jobs and opportunities.
For the record, IKBN, National High Skills Institute for Youths (IKTBN) and Malaysian Golf Skills Academy for Youths (AKBG) are grouped under ILKBS.
As part of the IKBN Transformation Programme, IKBN Miri had signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with various companies, industries and hotels across Sarawak – among them Meritz Hotel Miri, Imperial Hotel Miri, Miri Small Industries Association (PIKM), Prisma HZ Services, Soon Kin Auto Spraying Centre, Timur Miri Engineering Sdn Bhd and MKI Engineering Services (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd.
“This year, IKBN Miri has established a strategic collaboration with Oceancare Corporation Sdn Bhd on oil and gas industry,” Lokman said in his opening remarks at the 9th IKBN Miri convocation yesterday.
Based on a survey on graduate’s marketability, IKBN Miri scores with a rate of 92 per cent versus the national average of 90 per cent.
A study undertaken by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) indicates that under Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE), the state would need around 600,000 skilled and unskilled manpower by 2030.
“Although there are 54 public TVET (technical and vocational education and training) institutes and 35 private institutions in Sarawak, it is estimated that we would only able to produce around 170,000 skilled and trained manpower by 2030. This gives us a picture that TVET institutions are very much needed in Malaysia, especially in Sarawak,” he said.
Meanwhile, 479 IKBN students received their Malaysia Skills Certificates (SKM) at the ceremony here, where IKBN Miri director Mohd Yusuf Long and the Youth Skills Development Section director Dr Wasitah Mohd Yusof were also present.
Of the total graduates, 151 completed their automotive course, 113 in mechanical course and 215 in hospitality course.
In his message to the graduates, Lokman said: “The government has incorporated a holistic approach to skills training in human capital development. Through this approach, we would be able to produce a future generation of which every member has good personality and able to compete globally.”
