KUCHING: The Sarawak Skills Development Centre (PPKS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 33 secondary schools from the Kuching, Samarahan, and Serian divisions during a ceremony at its campus here yesterday.  

The aim of the MoU is to enhance the teaching and learning landscape of the participating secondary schools as well as to contribute to the development of human capital to create a competent workforce. Minister of Education, Science, and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong was the guest of honour for the event as well as the witness for the exchange of documents between PPKS and the schools.

“It is time to change the stigma associated with Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) that you are not qualified for higher education. “You are not a drop out, but you are instead qualified to be part of a highly-skilled workforce,” he said. Manyin also went on to say that the MoU signing ceremony is the beginning of a smart partnership between PPKS and the participating schools.

“We want to adopt a dual system like how they do in Germany; it’s been used there for many years and for TVET, recruitment is done by the industry whereas the curriculum is designed by both the industry and learning institute. “The students there spend three days in the industry and two days in their college or university whereby they also receive a monthly allowance.  

“Upon completion of their studies, students would already possess the necessary skills needed that would facilitate their transition to the workplace. “This is what we want to try and hopefully succeed,” he said. Also present during the signing ceremony was PPKS chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar (Dr) Haji Abdul Aziz Dato Haji Husain.