Petronas, WDU to promote STEM interest among S’wak students

KUCHING: Petronas has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Sarawak Workforce Development Unit (WDU) to collaborate in promoting interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) among Sarawakian students over the next three years.

The collaboration is aimed at enhancing student interest in STEM through new learning approaches, strengthening the curriculum and inculcating higher order thinking skills, said the media statement yesterday.

The initiative seeks to equip students with the necessary skills to meet the challenges in science and technology faced by the state, and to increase the number of STEM graduates in the country.

The MoU was signed by State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohd Morshidi Abdul Ghani and Petronas senior vice president for group human resource management Dato Raiha Azni Abdul Rahman.

Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg witnessed the signing during the opening ceremony of the Sarawak Career and Training (SCaT) Fair 2017 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) yesterday.

According to the statement, this is the third year Petronas is participating in the state government-driven SCaT Fair.

During the three-day event, Petronas is showcasing its various educational facilities and programmes such as those in Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Institut Teknologi Petroleum Petronas (INSTEP), Akademi Laut Malaysia (ALAM) and Petrosains Science Discovery Centre.

Petronas has been contributing significantly towards educational and human capital development in Sarawak with such programmes as the Petronas Education Sponsorship Program (PESP), Program Budi MRSM-Petronas, Program Sentuhan Ilmu Petronas (PSIP) and Trust School programme, the statement added.

Under its Vocational Institution Sponsorship and Training Assistance (VISTA) programme, Petronas provides technical advisory, training equipment and consumables, machine maintenance, Train of Trainers and INSTEP modules to Centre of Technical Excellence (CENTEX) Sarawak, Pusat Pembangunan Kemahiran Sarawak (PPKS), Institut Latihan Perindustrian (ILP) Miri, Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara (IKBN) Miri, Politeknik Kuching and Institut Kemahiran Mara (IKM) Bintulu.

Financial assistance to selected trainees from underprivileged families is also provided with such allowances as preparatory, monthly, mobilisation, de-mobilisation and home leave passage.

Petronas will also build a new MARA Junior Science College (MRSM) for technical education in Bintulu and two Asrama Harian Luar Bandar to cater for the educational needs of rural students in Sarawak.