KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wants more young people in Sabah to be exposed to technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to meet the demand for skilled manpower from foreign or domestic investors in the country.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said he was recently offered by China to send 2,000 Malaysian students to follow TVET programmes with full scholarships in the country and therefore wants to ensure that 500 places are filled by Sabah youth.
“My guarantee is that the young generation in Sabah will also be offered TVET education...this is also to ensure that young people in Sabah are trained and given jobs based on high technology,” he said when speaking at the Putatan Umno Division’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration here on Saturday (April 20) night.
Also present were Sabah Umno secretary Datuk Jafry Ariffin and Putatan Umno division chief Jeffrey Nor Mohamed.
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In this regard, Ahmad Zahid, who is also Umno president, said Sabah received RM11.34 billion in investments last year and thus the huge investment potential needs to be translated into economic development for the people in the state, especially the opening up of more job opportunities.
“Investment is now forthcoming because of the huge potential for Sabah, as to what domestic investment entails, foreign investment means there is confidence from domestic and foreign investors in Sabah, (so) the people will be presented with job opportunities. So young people must be equipped with TVET knowledge,” he said.
He said Giatmara is a TVET institution that is entrusted to implement the agenda of upskilling the young generation and so far there are 1,345 such institutes in the country.
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