Sunday August 12, 2012

Staying skills-savvy

MORE than 85% of community college students who graduated this year, were offered employment even before they attended their convocation.

The Higher Education Ministry’s Community Colleges Education Department director-general Amir Md Noor believes this is due to their opportunities for industrial exposure during their studies.

“This ensures they become skilled and competent. Such attributes are fostered through programmes run between community colleges, universities and the industry under a smart partnership,” he said at a signing of a memorandum of understanding last week.

The reasons why the remaining students have not started work were due to their refusal to work outside their own areas, wanting to follow their spouses or a decision to continue with their education, he added.

Amir said community colleges are also implementing re-skilling and up-skilling programmes for workers from the industry or unemployed graduates.

“This provides opportunities to those who have not been able to obtain certification,” he said, adding that the programmes were flexible.

Amir said the exchange of MoU was between community colleges and 25 companies and government agencies.

“They are our strategic partners and are helping to strengthen community colleges in order to produce competent workers who meet the needs of the industry,” he said.

Ministry secretary-general Datuk Ab Rahim Md Noor said it was important that community colleges meet the needs of the people through providing training and skills programmes.

“This includes initiatives such as providing modular programmes,” he said.