UCSF, KTYS boon for tertiary edu
Published on: Friday, July 01, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: Yayasan Sabah Group's educational programme will continue to complement and supplement the Government's effort in uplifting the quality of life of the people.According to the Yayasan Sabah (YS) Director Datuk Sapawi Ahmad, education has always been and will continue to be the main agenda of Yayasan Sabah Group (YSG) in developing the capacity of the people.In providing both educational opportunities and facilities, YSG facilitates the establishment of pre-schools and provides financial assistance for students to continue their secondary and tertiary education.
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"Over the years, YSG has also assisted the Government in the development of institutions of higher learning in the State such as Yayasan Sabah-Mara Institute of Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Sabah Branch and Universiti Malaysia Sabah," he said.Moving forward, in providing direct interventions in education development, YSG established its wholly-owned institutions of higher learning, namely Kolej Teknikal Yayasan Sabah (KTYS) and University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF). He added that both institutions are of different entities, where KTYS is managed by KKYS Sdn Bhd while UCSF is managed by another wholly-owned company of the Group, Uni YS Sdn Bhd."Both UCSF and KTYS offer continuing education for a post-secondary student but the courses offered are geared towards different needs of the students. KTYS offers a three-year diploma course besides short courses, which usually takes six months to two years to complete," he said.
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Sapawi said KTYS offers courses in Real Estate, Automotive Technology, Building Construction, Hospitality and the latest is Islamic Studies in collaboration with several public and private institutions. According to him, KTYS offers a multitude of programmes for skills training, technical, vocational, professional and academic (Technical Vocational Education Training). The college offers industrial-related courses in order to produce skilled human resource in line with the nation's requirements.
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"KTYS programmes include a strong element of hands-on training, ensuring that students are equipped with the necessary skills in meeting the job's market's requirement. "It has also taken a new approach in education by adopting a Competency-Based Training approach by providing the students trainings and placement in the job market," Sapawi added. Towards this end, smart partnerships are established with the relevant industry players, educational and training institutions namely UCSF, University Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Kolej Universiti Islam Malaysia (Kuim), Malaysian Department of Skills Development (Jabatan Pembangunan Kemahiran Malaysia), Petronas and Yayasan Peneraju Pendidikan Bumiputera (YPPB). Other agencies such as Malaysian Centre of Instructor & Advanced Skill Training (CIAST), Sime Darby, Angkatan Hebat Sdn Bhd, Pemuafakatan Badan Ilmiah Nasional (Pembina), Majlis Kerjasama Yayasan Holdings Berhad (Makaya), Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa (Star) and various subsidiaries of the group are also involved in the smart partnerships. "Academic Diploma Programmes conducted at KTYS are approved and accredited by the Malaysia Qualification Agency (MQA), Ministry of Higher Education and the vocational skills programmes are run with the approval of the Department of Skills Development, Ministry of Human Resources," he said.More than 4,200 students graduated from the college since its inception 26 years ago.He said the establishment of UCSF in 2013 is another success story of Yayasan Sabah in expanding its role in education. Branded as a "Green University", UCSF subscribes that future generations must rely on a firm understanding of the interconnected green issues so as to be guided towards sustainable living. Being Sabah's newest institution of higher learning, UCSF offers a myriad of academic and training programmes relevant to the economy of Sabah and Malaysia."A total of 15 programmes are now offered from its three distinctive faculties: Faculty of Business & Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Creative Arts & Multimedia, and Faculty of Natural Sciences & Sustainability. The programmes offered include foundation, diploma and degree programmes," he said.UCSF uses modern and high-tech environment, applying modern pedagogy, latest technologies and new form of experiential model for effectiveness and relevance as the youth of today learn with a different style. "At the Bachelor's Degree level, UCSF offers courses in Accounting, Business Administration and Entrepreneurship, Hospitality, Tourism besides Creative Arts while for Diploma, it offers courses in Accounting, Business Management, Event Management, Tourism Management, Animation, Fine Arts and Screen Arts among others. It also offers a one-year Foundation in Science," he added."Constant workshops and training are held, involving the many institutional partners, industrial partners and professional associates of UCSF.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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