Johor to boost STEM tertiary students numbers with pilot schools as answer to Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone needs, says state exco

Johor Education and Information Committee chairman Aznan Tamin (middle, in black jacket) receiving a gift from Talent Corporation Malaysia Bhd's (TalentCorp) board chairman Wong Shu Qi (second left) at the closing ceremony of the Young Employable Students (YES) Rock The School Johor at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Skudai, on Monday (Aug 5).

JOHOR BARU: Johor wants to increase the number of students opting for science-related tertiary education to meet its long-term need for a skilled workforce in the dawn of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, says state executive councillor Aznan Tamin.

The State Education and Information Committee chairman said that based on Higher Education Ministry data, few students have selected science-related education in the top 10 list of tertiary programmes they plan to pursue.

Meanwhile, the Diploma in Early Childhood Education has become a top choice for SPM leavers who opted out of the science stream in secondary school as their first choice in their UPUonline applications, he said during a youth employment programme in Skudai on Monday (Aug 5).

Aznan said this was a key reason for the state's decision to introduce a pilot school project, expected to launch next year.

“The pilot school is our first step towards introducing more students to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. We want to highlight STEM as an important field of study in Johor,” he said.

“Some of the secondary schools I have visited only have one science stream class. This is why I have requested our Education Department to establish at least two or three science stream classes in the future.

He added that the project aims to produce a skilled workforce as long-term support for industries slated to boom in the JS-SEZ.

He said this when met after the closing ceremony of the Young Employable Students (YES) Rock The School Johor at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Skudai, on Monday (Aug 5).

Aznan added that it is not feasible to roll out the plan immediately, prompting the state government to start with a pilot project involving two secondary and two primary schools before expanding it to other Johor schools.

“Our main aim is to supply the industry’s demand for a skilled workforce. We hope that having more science stream students will help achieve this goal. We want our younger generation to support the economic growth we are fostering in the state,” he added.

Aznan also shared that the state government has introduced the Johor Talent Development Council (JTDC), which includes learning institutions and industry players.

“We currently have 108 technical and vocational education and training (TVET) modules in Johor, curated by industry and learning institutions to reduce talent mismatch in the state.

“JTDC also plays a crucial role in sharing information on the latest skills and technologies needed by the industry. This will help learning institutions better prepare our local talents when they graduate,” he explained.

Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz has been reported to say that the state government aims to launch pilot schools next year to improve the state’s education system.

"This aligns with the directive of the Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, who emphasised the importance of high-quality education.

"Special attention will be given to mastering Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), as well as the English language," he said, adding that the pilot project will initially include two primary schools and two secondary schools, selected by the state education department.