New career path through vocational studies

Upskilling for the future: Chok listening to Tan (right) during a group discussion at the educational talk held by the Marang MCA division.

PETALING JAYA: For 18-year-old hardware store worker Chin Seng Hong, a chance to go for technical and vocational training is giving him a new career path.

“My friends introduced me to a Diploma in Hairdressing course. I’m quite excited for the course that will begin in September this year,” he said.

Chin, who had average results in SPM, will be pursuing the one-year diploma course at VTAR Institute.

“Hairdressing is my interest and I’m quite happy,” added Chin, who is based in Marang, Terengganu.

As for Chok Hok Lung, who is now a junior air-conditioner technician, he is also hoping to improve his skills on the job by signing up for a one-year Electrical Installation and Maintenance course.

“I saw this programme on Facebook and I also heard about it from some friends,” said Chok, 18.

Both Chin and Chok were some of of the SPM school-leavers present at an education guidance talk held by the Marang MCA division last Friday.

Marang MCA women’s division chief Monna Ong said the main objective of the event was to provide guidance to school-leavers regardless of their SPM results.

“We also want to advise millennials who dropped out of school or are unemployed,” she added.

Ong (seated, fifth from right) and Tan (seated, sixth from right) are committed to bring more education choices to the youths.

VTAR chief executive officer Tan Cheng Liang, associate professors and other academicians from VTAR and TAR University of Management and Technology were among those invited to the talk to share their experiences with the students.

Ong said 200 youths were present and 20 of them signed up immediately after the event.

“It was a great success where after the talk, students and parents stayed back and personally had group discussions and individual discussions with the speakers so they could understand what’s next for them,” she added.

Ong said VTAR graduates also took the opportunity to give a demonstration on hairstyling and baking, as well as testimonies on their respective jobs.

“We hope the youths will have a clearer mind and pick up a skill that can make them successful,” she said.

Ong said the educational talk was the first held by Marang MCA.

Following the success of last Friday’s event, she said more such programmes would be held in the future.

“We will do it from time to time to help students understand what courses they can pursue and that an alternative is always there for them,” she said.

VTAR Institute is a private vocational college and community project of Koperasi Jayadiri Malaysia Berhad (Kojadi), which is an education loan cooperative under MCA.

In March, TAR UC and VTAR Institute signed an MOU with a property developer to develop a talent development and internship programme for students in technical and vocational education and training (TVET).