Sedia facilitates funding for skills training programmes
KIMANIS: The Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (Sedia) yesterday held a briefing for several public skills training institutions and skills development centres, on the Contestable Funding Programme during the Eleventh Malaysia Plan.
The programme is implemented to encourage these institutions and centres to offer competitive skills training programmes at reasonable cost, while also providing employment opportunities as trainers. The briefing was provided by Skills Development Fund Corporation (PTPK) Assistant Manager Syaidatul Nuraiza binti Zahari.
In line with the Government’s intent to produce a highly skilled workforce, the implementation of this programme focuses on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and is based on industrial demand that will help Malaysia move towards a highincome nation.
The programme was among the recommendations suggested in the TVET Human Capital Demand and Supply study by the Federal Economic Planning Unit and the Prime Minister’s Department in 2016, towards addressing the skills gap and meeting industry needs, and is a performance-based funding mechanism that focuses on high priority sectors based on industry requirements.
The mechanism is based on a similar model in Australia, whereby the Australian government provides a fund that training institutions will compete for by offering costeffective training programmes. The fund will be provided through PTPK, and Sedia will function as the coordinator in Sabah.
The briefing was held at the Sabah Agro-Industrial Precinct (SAIP), and had concluded with a tour of its facilities.
With an estimated area of 185 acres, SAIP is envisaged as a centre of excellence in agro-biotechnology that optimises the state’s biodiversity and abundant natural resources to produce higher value-added food and specialty products based on botanicals, aquatic plants and animals.
It is also currently undergoing certification for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).