GEORGE TOWN: The Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) has expanded the Industry-Infused Programme (IIP) to include 19 public institutions of higher learning to meet the talent demand by the electrical and electronic (E&E) industry.
The IIP, which started at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), is now rebranded as MOHE Research and Industry-Infused Incubator (MRI3).
USM vice chancellor Datuk Seri Ir Dr Abdul Rahman Mohamed said, with the participation of 19 public institutions of higher learning and 27 industry players, they hope to create at least 500 industry-ready talents beginning next October's intake.
"We (USM) started with creating 47 industry-ready talents in the first cohort last year. This year, more than three-fold or about 190 students joined the IIP.
"Beginning next October, we will increase the intake to 500 annually to ensure we are able to create at least 500 industry-ready talents every year or whatever the industry requires.
"Through the MRI3, the undergraduates are not only assured of job placements, some even before graduation, they are also assured of a minimum premium salary of at least RM4,000," he said at the launch of the MRI3 here today.
Present to launch the event was USM Board of Governors' chairman Datuk Seri Dr Awang Adek Hussin, representing the Higher Education Ministry.
USM heads the public universities' E&E Consortium to implement the MRI3.
Abdul Rahman said the IIP is a 10-month programme for final year students.
He said besides their own course, the students would also undergo an additional 10-month programme simultaneously, about 20-hour weekly, with the industry. During that time, they will receive RM1,500 allowance.
"The programme will indirectly prepare industry-ready talent which is very much needed by the industry.
"The undergraduate's skillset will ensure their marketability."This will help Malaysia to become a high income nation," he added.
In September, the then Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the IIP would be expanded to other universities to develop highly skilled graduates.
He had said that the ministry wanted to ensure that IIP became a national platform provided by universities in collaboration with the industry so that the training programme created at the end of their studies were in line with the needs of the industry before they are absorbed into the working world.