MONDAY, AUGUST 29 KUALA LUMPUR- Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department S.K. Devamany opens 5th MIMA South China Sea Conference 2016 at 0930 (0130 GMT) PUTRAJAYA- Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi(pic) receives courtesy call from Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan at 1145 (0345 GMT)
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia emerged overall champions of the Asean Skills Competition Kuala Lumpur 2016, with an impressive haul of 24 gold, four silver and five bronze medals.
The host country also clinched six medallions of excellence, to cap a memorable outing for them.
Mohamad Farhan Zaki, who took part in the Automobile Technology category, was the toast of Malaysia after being awarded the “Best of Nation” prize, which is given to the best participant of each country.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic) said the development of technical & vocational education and training (TVET) is vital in Asean as the region faces increasing demand for skilled workforce.
“This (demand) will require strong education and training policies, with curricula that match national development priorities, as education and skills of the workforce are critical factors in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
“Having a highly skilled workforce leads to an efficient labour market which increases the confidence of potential investors.
“One of the areas the government of Malaysia is focusing on to ensure a highly-skilled workforce is the development of TVET programmes.
“One of the six strategic thrusts identified by the government in the 11th Malaysia Plan is “accelerating human capital development for an advanced nation”, which focuses on harnessing TVET to transition to a higher-skilled workforce,” said Dr Ahmad Zahid in his speech when closing the competition here.
The theme of the six-day competition, which is in its 11th edition, was “Skills for a Brighter Future”.
“The Asean Skills Competition will convey the message to the world community that the youth in Asean are being trained to prepare themselves to meet job requirements, and contribute to building a better and more prosperous world,” said Dr Ahmad Zahid.
Presenting the medals to the winners were Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem and Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof.
Among the categories in the competition included automobile technology, mobile robotics, fashion technology, mechanical engineering design and IT network systems administration.
The next Asean Skills Competition will be held in Bangkok, Thailand.
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