MORE THAN 470,000 ATTEND TVET@KKDW INSTITUTION EXPO IN MELAKA

MELAKA, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- A total of 479,554 participants, both physically and virtually, attended the TVET@KKDW Educational Institutions Expo, held in a hybrid format here over three days starting last Friday, according to the Ministry of Rural Development and Regional Planning (KKDW) deputy secretary-general, Datuk Afandi Nordin.

He said that this figure exceeded the initial target of 300,000 visitors, making this the sixth expo a prime platform for showcasing the excellence of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes established through 279 TVET institutions under KKDW.

"This expo successfully achieved its aim of empowering TVET education and raising public awareness of the potential, career opportunities and skills offered through various TVET programmes at the 279 institutions under KKDW.

"The organisation of this expo also aims to attract more visitors to this annual event, thus opening up opportunities to improve the living standards of rural communities," he said while speaking at the closing ceremony of the TVET@KKDW 2024 Educational Institutions Expo at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) today.

The expo also saw GiatMARA institutions winning the Overall Champion Award, while the Institut Kemahiran MARA (IKM) in Seberang Perai Utara received the Best Innovation Award, and the Special Jury Award went to IKM Besut.

Afandi said that KKDW continuously supports the organisation of TVET promotion programmes at the agency and institute levels, while also strengthening synergistic cooperation between companies and TVET institutions to create career opportunities for TVET students and graduates.

He noted that during this programme, 120 graduates successfully secured employment, while 654 others qualified for a second interview conducted by 23 employers and industries through the MyFuture Jobs Career Carnival over the three days of the expo.

He added that the competitions held throughout the expo also serve as a means for learning and sharing ideas among students, enhancing their technical skills and sharpening participants' innovative capabilities to compete internationally, including in the WorldSkills Competition.

"The innovative products and services developed by participants have significant commercial potential, so take the opportunity to patent your creations with the Malaysian Intellectual Property Corporation to secure exclusive rights as creators," he said.

One participant from the German-Malaysia Institute (GMI), Allyana Syakira Safri, 20, described the TVET@KKDW expo as a valuable space for her to seek ideas for her final year project that she is currently working on.

“I hope that in the future, more categories will be created to help students and the community understand the connections between different technologies,” said the Diploma in Electronics and Information Technology student.

Meanwhile, her friend, Hureen Hanifa M Rosli, 20, acknowledged that the TVET field is very beneficial for those who are not interested in academic subjects and expressed her hope for more expos of this kind to be held, particularly in suburban areas.

“I hope more industry players will get involved, directly or indirectly, in the technology sector to support TVET programmes, as this has a very positive impact, especially in creating a skilled workforce,” she said.

-- BERNAMA