Fong: Skilled technicians should register with Afeo
KUALA LUMPUR: Youths interested in being skilled technicians and able to work in the Asean region should register as technical skill graduates with the Asean Federation of Engineering Organisations (Afeo).
“This is timely as the Asean services sector is set to be liberalised in 2015,” said Kojadi Institute chairman Tan Sri Dr Fong Chan Onn.
He added that many countries, especially Singapore and recently Malaysia, are gearing towards registration of competent technicians.
Technicians are required in many service industries such as oil and gas, telecommunications and computer appliances.
“These industries constantly need maintenance, repair and upgrading work and multinational corporations require graduates to be skilled technicians before they are hired,” he said before presenting the TAM/Afeo membership certificates to graduates of the Malaysian Skills Certificate Level 3 who had signed up for it.
Technological Association of Malaysia (TAM) deputy president Tang Heap Seng said being a member of TAM/Afeo would enable young people to work and travel within Asean countries as skilled workers.
On concerns over technicians from the Philippines and Indonesia coming to Malaysia and competing with the locals come 2015 with the service sector liberalisation, Dr Fong said Malaysian technicians were ahead in technical skills and need not worry as they, too, could go to the Philippines and Indonesia to work.
For further information on technical courses at Kojadi, call 03-2166 8211 or visit www. ki.edu.my.