Kota Kinabalu: National Dual Training System (SLDN) graduates were urged to continuously improve their skills and knowledge as the country needs highly skilled workers to progress and compete globally.
Deputy Chief Minister cum Resource Development and Information Technology Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai said presently, skilled workers represent only 29 per cent of the country's workforce.
"We target to increase the number to 33 per cent by 2015 and 50 per cent by 2020," he said at the SLDN Sabah and Labuan Zone convocation ceremony in Suria Sabah, Saturday.
Yee said in line with the need under the Tenth Malaysia Plan, Technical Education and Vocational Training (TEVT) should no longer be the second or last choice but the first choice as what had happened in developed countries such as Germany, Australia and Japan.
He said the SLDN approach has been proven to be successful and effective in helping school leavers, job seekers and existing workers to gain skills, develop their skills and improve their career potentials.
SLDN, which adopted good practices applied by Germany as reference, was in line with the Government's effort to empower its workforce to achieve a developed nation status, he said.
"The effort to increase workers' skills and competency needed cooperation from various parties. SLDN is the Government's effort to produce knowledgeable workers and increase the country's competitiveness at the international level," he said.
Meanwhile, Skills Development Department Director General Datuk Dr Pang Chau Leong, in his welcoming address, urged industry players to jointly with the government increase awareness and change the public's perspective as the acceptance of TEVT among students and parents was still poor.
He also said most of the graduates who received their certificates on Saturday have managed to secure good jobs in companies where they were trained, while others had started their own business or are furthering their studies.
His speech was delivered by his deputy Mohd Yazid Awalludin.
A total of 420 trainees, who completed their training in various fields under the SLDN programme, received their Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia during the convocation and it brought the number of apprentices awarded the certificates to 1,014 since the introduction of the programme in 2008.
SLDN is an industrial-oriented programme under the Skills Development Department of the Human Resources Ministry that combines training at vocational or technical institution with actual workplaces.
Also present were Resource Development and Information Technology Ministry permanent secretary Bruno Vun.
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