250 students and teachers from Vocational Colleges (KV) participate in the TVET PRS Empowerment Programme

PEKAN, August 7, 2023 - The organization of the TVET Empowerment Programme with Peer Facilitators (PRS), which involved a total of 250 students and teachers from 86 Vocational Colleges (KV) throughout Malaysia, successfully ignited interest, developed potential, and empowered the competitiveness of students in TVET-related fields.

The programme, which lasted for four days and three nights and began on August 4th at the Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), as the host, is in line with the government's efforts to strengthen the TVET programme as a national development agenda.

According to the Vice-Chancellor of UMPSA, Professor Dato’ Ts. Dr. Yusserie Zainuddin, UMPSA is committed to consistently support the empowerment of TVET as outlined in the UMPSA Strategic Plan 2021-2025 Strategic Objective 1 (SO 1) High-Level TVET Excellence.

"With the expertise possessed by the university in various fields of Engineering, Science, and Technology, I believe that UMPSA is capable of playing a competent synergistic role in this context.

"Graduates of KV and Technical Secondary Schools (SMT) have the opportunity to be offered academic programmes based on Engineering, Science, Technology, and Management at UMPSA, either at the diploma or Bachelor's level," he said during the programme's launch.

In addition, UMPSA also offers Engineering programmes such as Engineering Technology and Technology to SPM graduates, especially SMT graduates. While for KV graduates, UMPSA under the Malaysian Technical Universities Network (MTUN), offers seven Bachelor of Technology (BTech) programmes, specifically for graduates of the Malaysian Vocational Diploma (DVM).

He also congratulated and expressed appreciation to colleagues from the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Division (BPLTV), teachers, counsellors, KV, SMT, and everyone involved for their commitment to the successful implementation of this programme.

Furthermore, he also hoped that this synergy of cooperation could be continued to further strengthen the TVET empowerment agenda.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Director of the Student Management Unit, Technical and Vocational Education and Training Division (BPLTV), Khairul Anuar Ramlan, also expressed his gratitude to all parties at UMPSA who cooperated and made this programme a success.

"This programme can also help counsellors provide more effective psychological and career counselling services with the assistance of Peer Facilitators (PRS) who are systematically trained.

"While PRS plays a very important role in the development of students, especially in KV and SMT, as they are a very important group of leaders as companions to other students and can be facilitators with a high level of empathy and can shape leadership values within themselves," he said.

Present at the event were the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International), Professor Ir. Ts. Dr. Ahmad Ziad Sulaiman, Chairman of the Director of KV/SMT Pahang Zone, Tuan Haji Zakaria Omar, and Deputy Director of the Student Management Unit, BPLTV, Nor Maizan Samsudin.

The programme received cooperation from the Vocational Technical Education and Training Division, Ministry of Education, Education Counselling Officer Council, KV, and Malaysian Technical Secondary Schools (MAPEKA).

By: Nor Salwana Mohammad Idris, Centre for Corporate Communications, Chancellery Department

Translation by: Aminatul Nor Mohamed Said, UMP Career Centre (UMPCC)