Sabah, STEM, TVET, Education, Government, PETRONAS, Scholarships
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government hopes more scholarships spots will be given to eligible students to further their studies in the many PETRONAS institutions and training centres.
Sabah Science, Technology and Innovation minister Datuk Arifin Arif said though PETRONAS has provided a lot of assistance and job opportunities for Sabahans, he is confident that the mega oil and gas company can do more for deserving students here.
“For example, there is a yearly scholarship allocation for 20 students to enter the PETRONAS University so maybe PETRONAS can increase it to 40 spots?” he asked when giving his speech at PETRONAS’ WeHelp Programme here Friday (Dec 13).
The WeHelp programme offers free scientific calculators to students in selected schools in the state, among other things.
Apart from scholarships, Arifin acknowledged that PETRONAS has been offering training, among other programmes, to boost the learning of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), as well as technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
He said in Sabah, only about 50% of students manage to further their studies and enter the workforce under STEM, while less than 30% are in the STEM I (pure science) industries.
“We hope with the consistent initiatives taken by the state through the Education Department and other partners such as PETRONAS, this number will increase,” he said in asking for more support from PETRONAS on this development.
Earlier, PETRONAS said that the WeHelp Programme led by the Sabah Education Department in collaboration with Yayasan PETRONAS, PETRONAS Floating LNG, and Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), in partnership with SLB, contributed a total of 17,190 scientific calculators to students in Sabah.
This is aimed at advancing STEM education in the state, PETRONAS senior general manager (human resources management) Abdullah Monshie.
The event also marked a significant milestone in advancing vocational education and training in Sabah with the exchange of Memoranda of Understanding between PETRONAS and two institutions, namely Institut Latihan Teknik dan Perdagangan Papar and Kolej Teknologi Yayasan Sabah, for the Vocational Institution Sponsorship and Training Assistance (VISTA) programme.
These partnerships aim to elevate technical training and workforce readiness in Sabah, aligning their training programmes with global oil and gas industry standards.
Other than that, PETRONAS handed over a Letter of Intent to Akademi Binaan Malaysia Wilayah Sabah on training Sabah youth with industry-relevant skills, under the enhanced VISTA 2.0 initiative, to facilitate the issuance of CIDB Certificates of Competency for graduates in relevant skilled trades.
This initiative ensures graduates’ employability in the oil and gas sector, providing them with industry-recognised credentials and increasing their competitiveness in the global job market.
Aligned with the state’s Sabah Maju Jaya Plan, PETRONAS announced a RM702,000 sponsorship for POMIGAS 2.0, a platform under the Sabah Jobs Portal as well.
The platform is designed to enhance employment opportunities while providing data-driven insights into the local talent landscape within the oil and gas industry.
"Sabah has always been integral to PETRONAS’ journey. These initiatives reflect our commitment to nurturing talent, building resilient communities, and supporting Sabah’s development,” said Abdullah.
