W
hen he completed his schooling in 2018, it never crossed Muhammad Habibullah Mohd Yusuff’s mind that he would one day be flying to various countries to showcase his skills in creating systems for air conditioning units – a field he initially had scant interest in.
For the past two years, this 24-year-old has been busy representing Malaysia in various skills competitions, and this September, he will showcase his talent at the WorldSkills Competition (WSC) 2024 in Lyon, France.
Reflecting on his involvement in a field he “did not like”, Muhammad Habibullah, who hails from Guar Chempedak in Kedah, told Bernama that after finishing the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination six years ago, he worked part-time at a catering company and a wholesale market.
“Not long after, the movement control order was enforced (to stem the spread of COVID-19), and I lost my job,” he said, adding the situation prompted him to resume his education.
Whilst looking for a good opportunity, he came across an online link inviting SPM leavers to attend an interview at the Malaysia Construction Academy (ABM) Northern Region in Sintok, Kedah.
“I took a chance and was selected, following which I took a four-month course in air conditioning and mechanical ventilation,” he said, adding his course started in January 2022.
(ABM is the assessment and training centre of the Construction Industry Development Board [CIDB] Malaysia, focusing on capacity building and skills training.)
ONE AWARD AFTER ANOTHER
Muhammad Habibullah said his interest in the field deepened after participating in and winning one of the top prizes in the 2022 WorldSkills Malaysia Youth Pre-Qualification Competition.
He said at that time, no student wanted to join this competition, aimed at selecting and recognising youths or workers who were highly skilled in the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
Seeing the lack of enthusiasm, he then offered to participate in the competition, which took place from June to October 2022, where he competed against 84 other participants to secure one of the top seven slots in the final round.
Despite only undergoing four months of training, Muhammad Habibullah proved to be a competent contestant – he made it to the final round and won a silver medal. He was also the sole winner in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) category.
Success after success continued to follow Muhammad Habibullah, with one of his achievements being representing Malaysia at the ASEAN level of WSC in Singapore in July 2023 where he received the bronze medal.
This victory qualified him as the sole representative of CIDB and ABM in the RAC category. He also got to join the top Malaysian team that participated in WSC Asia in Abu Dhabi (in the United Arab Emirates) from Nov 25 to Dec 1, 2023, where he was awarded the Medallion of Excellence in the RAC category.
In recognition of his achievement in Abu Dhabi, Muhammad Habibullah was presented with a Special Mention certificate at the ABM and CIDB Technologies Sdn Bhd Northern Region graduation ceremony in January.
He also received a special award from the Kedah state government during a ceremony to recognise outstanding academic achievement.
ROAD TO LYON
Muhammad Habibullah is currently busy preparing himself for WSC 2024, set to take place from Sept 7 to 16 in Lyon. He is among 15 youths who will represent Malaysia in the competition. The national team will showcase their skills in 14 out of the 62 contested fields.
(WSC is the highest-level skills competition organised by WorldSkills International [WSI] and held every two years. Malaysia joined WSI in 1992 and has participated in 15 WSC events to date.)
Admitting that he was initially reluctant to participate in the competitions due to financial constraints, the young man said support from various parties, including CIDB, the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Human Resources, enabled him to do so.
“It is challenging to participate in these skills competitions as I’ve to train hard. I have to train from 8 am to 11 pm every day. Even on weekends, I go to the workshop (to train) as usual,” he said, adding at times he even considered quitting as he was too exhausted from training continuously without sufficient rest.
Hoping to start an air conditioning business someday, Muhammad Habibullah said his experience proves that TVET is a field with great potential, with a graduate employability rate exceeding 80 percent.
“I also want to make my family proud and elevate Malaysia's name on the global stage, showing that our country also has highly skilled talent and can stand on a par with other developed nations,” he said.
CIDB, ABM FOCUSING ON TVET
Meanwhile, CIDB chief executive Datuk Mohd Zaid Zakaria said the agency has trained and accredited over 420,000 skilled construction workers through ABM and CIDB Technologies in six regions across Malaysia since 1997.
He said CIDB allocated RM232 million between 2018 and 2023 to provide skills training to construction workers.
“This allocation has been increasing, with RM55 million allocated this year to ensure that construction workers receive proper competency training,” he said in a statement to Bernama.
He said CIDB offers sponsorship in the form of the Skills Competency Training Programme, conducted by ABM, for youths aged 17 to 35 years. The sponsorship includes a Construction Personnel Registration Card (Green Card), a training allowance of RM150 per month, training fees, hostel facilities, meal allowances, training attire and insurance.
Mohd Zaid said ABM has also taken proactive steps in facing the era of artificial intelligence and digital technology by introducing advanced training mechanisms using simulators in the fields of welding and heavy machinery operation since 2014.
“ABM is also a pioneer in providing training in Building Information Modelling (BIM, a 3D model-based tool that provides a digital representation of a facility's physical and functional aspects), which leverages 3D model sharing through the latest digital technology that can be used by all parties involved in a project,” he said.
He said CIDB is also addressing the digitalisation revolution in ABM’s construction training by providing the latest technological applications such as augmented reality and virtual reality as well as drones for high-impact trades.
Translated by Rema Nambiar
