LUNDU: Five universities within the Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN) will accept students with Levels 1 and 2 Malaysian Skills Certificates (SKM) for their Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said this was in line with the two operational and production levels being recognised by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency and the Department of Skills Development as equivalent to the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).
Zahid, who is also rural and regional development minister, said the five public higher learning institutions were Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) and Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL).
"They can then pursue studies at levels 3, 4, and 5, which are recognised as equivalent to a diploma, and this is a new approach currently being worked on.
"The Human Resources Ministry is in the process of detailing the pathway to the next levels, which are levels 6 and 7, to allow further studies towards a Bachelor's Degree," he said at the TVET HRD Corp-Centexs commercial initiative launching ceremony and the opening of the training hub and e-sports certification academy at the Sarawak Technical Excellence Centre here.
Present were Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong, Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang and Centexs chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani.
Zahid said this new approach was crucial as TVET is a key factor in the government's plan to increase the number of highly skilled workers.
"TVET is also a crucial factor that can meet industrial demand and contribute to the country's economic growth, in line with globalisation, technological advancements, and global workforce mobility.
"Foreign direct investment is steadily increasing in the country, raising the demand for skilled labour in specific strategic sectors, such as aerospace, maritime, rail technology, robotics and satellites," he said.
On the e-Sports Training Hub and Certification Academy at Centexs Lundu, Zahid hoped that it would produce world-class e-sport players and pioneers, enabling Malaysia to become a leading e-sports tourism destination in the region.
He said that while e-sports was newer compared with other sports, it had become a popular recreational activity among youth and was a rapidly growing industry capable of providing lucrative returns.
"We must keep up with the times by developing spaces and infrastructure that allow young people with potential in e-sports to be trained and guided.
"This e-sports Training Hub and Certification Academy is not only aimed at producing athletes but also at creating digital content creators, architects and software developers, technical engineers, strategic planners and other roles related to e-sports," he said.