Vocational skills can be valuable
dURING a recent visit by Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan to the Malaysian Institute of Baking (MIB), he stressed the importance of vocational skills which needed to be developed in Malaysia.
The Government, he said, was also channelling funds to ensure the demand for skilled labour force was met by way of upskilling, re-training as well as equipping graduates with the necessary skills to flexibly adapt in the workforce.
Kamalanathan also shared the story of a 12-year-old girl whom he met in Penang. He asked her what was her ambition.
“She replied she wanted to be a pastry chef. This was a girl who scored straight As in her UPSR. When asked why she wanted to become a pastry chef, she replied that she was passionate about food and various TV shows had shown her that integrating good taste with creative presentation was an art in itself,” he said.
Now, how do we ensure the skills we learnt could be used for career enhancement or building our own business in the future? The answer will be to set the right foundation in the knowledge learnt.
Skills alone are not important, it has to be coupled with the correct theoretical knowledge to understand the basic fundamental ingredients and how they react together scientifically and how a flavour is enhanced in a particular product.
This was one of the reasons Kamalanathan was intrigued by the study of baking science as an exact science that sets the framework right for students to learn baking and pastry skills.
He had a chat with some MIB students who were doing their practical session and he was amazed to discover that one student, Carmen Lau, with six As in SPM and good results in STPM was also very passionate about baking and declined an offer to enter a local university.
So what is it that makes these good students decide to pursue their passion in food? Various reasons attribute to their decision, mainly the food influence nurtured from young, exposure to various food cultures and the advent of numerous TV shows through various media channels.
Then the next question arises, where do you go from here? What are your progression opportunities and what are your prospects in the food industry?
At MIB, the two-year Diploma in Baking Science & Technology graduates are sent for internship at various food outlets for on-thejob exposure.
Upon graduation, these graduates have the opportunity to progress towards a degree in BBA from Manipal International University (MIU) or a degree in Management from the famed St Mary’s University (SMU) in London, conducted locally by ATC. All for a further two years.
Imagine the possibility of gaining a degree in four years after SPM, with a solid foundation in food skills for two years, plus another two years for a world-class degree.
This would enable the student to be adaptable in any food industry and progress towards a managerial role. The understanding of the various food skills is not lost, which in turn would be very helpful in grooming these young graduates for future management positions.
Another affordable programme that students can enrol in is the Diploma in Food Entrepreneurship, which would also enable students to progress towards a degree from both MIU as well as SMU.
Future plans are in place for collaboration with the prestigious London South Banks University, which has the National Baking School under its wing.
Bursary grants and easy payment schemes are available for deserving MIB students. For more information, log on to
or its Facebook page Malaysian Institute of Baking. Alternatively, call 037956 9011/43 or e-mail info@mib.edu.my.