MATEPM 2024 Catalyses shift In Public Perception Of TVET

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 13 (Bernama) -- The Prime Minister’s Gold Hand Award (MATEPM) and Skilled Person Award continue to play a pivotal role in reshaping society’s perception of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

These annual awards highlight TVET as a prestigious and promising career path, particularly for young talent.

This year, MATEPM recognises the exceptional achievements of winners from the WorldSkills Malaysia Youth (WSMB) and WorldSkills Malaysia Trainers (WSMP) competitions, organised by the Department of Skills Development (JPK) under the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA).

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The nation’s highest TVET honours were presented to Misto Mikin, a Building Engineering Technology Certificate student from Institut Kemahiran MARA (IKM) Kota Kinabalu, who excelled in the Bricklaying category at WSMB, and Muhammad Muhyddin Mohamad Ibrahim, an electronics instructor from Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi MARA (KKTM) Ledang, who led in the WSMP.

The Skilled Person Award, meanwhile, was given to Datuk Seri P. Ganes, founder and chief executive officer of SG Education Group, for his contributions to mainstreaming TVET and strengthening the national skills certification system.

Through his training institution, Ganes offers innovative and industry-relevant programmes, covering emerging technology, electric vehicles and artificial intelligence.

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Reflecting on his achievement, Ganes noted it as recognition of his efforts since 1999 to develop a highly skilled Malaysian workforce capable of earning higher incomes.

“TVET opens doors to high-income jobs. We need TVET pioneers. I see an opportunity to bridge the skills gap in line with industry needs, especially through public-private partnerships.

“We now see more skilled students in Malaysia stepping forward as respected professionals,” he told reporters.

The Prime Minister’s Gold Hand Award and the Skilled Person Award were presented to the winners by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof at MATEPM ceremony here today.

In addition, JPK also organised the JuniorSkills Malaysia (JSM) and the WorldSkills Malaysia University Challenge (WSMUC).

The JSM competition was introduced to identify and recognise students aged 16 and below who demonstrate potential in TVET while sparking interest among the younger generation to pursue skills-based careers.

WSMUC, an initiative between JPK and Universiti Kuala Lumpur, focuses on Future Skills aligned with Industry 4.0, offering university students exposure to emerging fields.

The WorldSkills Malaysia competition, held from May 14 to Oct 4, saw a total of 1,537 participants in the preliminary rounds and 457 in the finals.

Thirty-seven fields were contested in the youth category (WSMB), seven in the trainers’ category (WSMP), and four in the junior category (JSM).

-- BERNAMA