SANDAKAN: The Government intends to establish an Institut Kemahiran Mara (IKM) in Sandakan to strengthen Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and address youth unemployment in Sabah, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said the establishment of the institute is important to meet local demand and provide skills training opportunities so that Sabah’s youths can work in their own State.
“This is to meet the demand in the Sandakan surrounding area. Although there are 24 GiatMara centres in Sabah, a college is still needed.
“Apart from the IKM College in Kota Kinabalu, the Sandakan area greatly needs a higher TVET college to provide skills training for students here,” he told reporters after officiating the Sentuhan Kasih Desa @ Sungai Sibuga programme, here, Saturday.
The programme was also attended by Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and Kedah Umno Chief Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.
Also present were Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates in the 17th Sabah State Election — Datuk Suhaimi Nasir for Sungai Sibuga, Mohd Zharif Aizat Samsudin (Sekong), Zaini Tiksun (Sungai Manila) and Datuk Chin Kim Hiung (Karamunting).
Earlier, in his speech, Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said establishing an IKM here would help Sandakan youths secure ‘’premium-paying jobs’’ upon graduation.
“We do not want Sabah youths to work in the peninsula just to earn a living. We want them to be trained and employed in Sabah to help their parents. We also want to resolve the unemployment issue in Sabah, which contributes to one in every five unemployed persons in Malaysia,” he said.
He added that the Rural and Regional Development Ministry and Mara will seek the necessary allocations to expedite the construction of the IKM if BN is given the mandate in the state election.
Meanwhile, in KINABATANGAN, Zahid said the participation of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) school leavers in TVET programmes is expected to increase from 57.4 per cent this year to 65 per cent by the end of next year.
He said the TVET programme is no longer considered a second choice or only for those who fail academically; instead, it is becoming a primary choice for young people in the country.
Ahmad Zahid said TVET now promises premium salaries and cited the example that holders of Malaysian Skills Certificates Level one to three can enjoy a starting salary of RM2,500.
“In terms of marketability, out of 100 people who enter institutions under Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), 98.7 per cent secure employment before completing their course,” he said when speaking at the TVET Tour Programme at Kinabatangan Square.
Ahmad Zahid said although the nationwide TVET marketability rate is 95.1 per cent and Mara’s is 98.7 per cent, the TVET marketability under the Ministry of Works, specifically the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Training Institute (IBM), is 100 per cent.
