Deputy Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education Dr Chin Wei Keh and attendees in a group photo. - Photo: contributor
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: The Lifelong Learning Centre (L3C) under the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Manpower Planning Office (MPO) under the Prime Minister’s Office, successfully hosted the Annual Lifelong Learning Industry Engagement Day (ALLIED) Forum on Thursday (Jan 15) at a hotel.
The forum brought together over 100 participants comprising representatives from government agencies, private sector companies and training providers.
Centred on the theme ‘Building Brunei’s Future Together: A Shared Investment in Our Talent and National Prosperity’, the ALLIED Forum underscored the importance of shared responsibility in workforce development.
This year’s forum aimed to encourage industries to view workforce training as a strategic investment, actively support employee upskilling and contribute to the national training ecosystem in alignment with the aspirations of Brunei Vision 2035.
Deputy Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education Dr Chin Wei Keh attended the forum as the guest of honour to deliver his opening remark, in which he highlighted the critical role of workforce training in developing a productive, adaptable and future-ready workforce.
He emphasised that human capital remains one of the nation’s most valuable assets and that continuous investment in skills development is essential for long-term economic resilience and competitiveness.
The morning programme featured a moderated panel session led by Managing Director of Confer Sdn Bhd Allen Lai and began with an industry sharing presentation titled ‘National Training Body Perspective: Malaysia’s Industry-led Workforce Development Model’, delivered by Chief Strategy Officer of the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) Malaysia Dr Rony Ambrose Gobilee.
Other highlights of the programme include panel discussions featuring Chief Executive Officer of Network Integrity Assurance Technologies Lim Ming Soon, Corporate Services Manager of Hibiscus Petroleum Berhad Harina Ramlee and Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Brunei Institute of Leadership and Islamic Finance (BILIF) Afero Eswandy Mohamad.
The invited panellists shared perspectives and best practices on workforce development, industry engagement and the role of lifelong learning in supporting organisational growth and national priorities.
The session provided a platform for active exchange of perspectives between industry stakeholders and panellists.
The programme continued later in the afternoon with the forum transitioning into interactive workshop sessions designed to gather industry feedback and encourage co-creation.
The first workshop, titled ‘Industry Perspectives: Shaping the Future of Workforce Development Together’, focused on employers’ views on shared investment in training and explored practical considerations for sustaining workforce development efforts over time, while the second workshop, ‘From Skills Demand to Training Delivery: Strengthening Coordination between Industry, Training Providers and L3C’, examined ways to enhance alignment between industry needs and training provision to ensure skills development initiatives remain relevant and responsive.
The ALLIED Forum continues to serve as an important platform for strengthening partnerships among government, industry and training providers, and for advancing lifelong learning initiatives in support of Brunei Darussalam’s long-term socio-economic development. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
