SANDAKAN: Deputy Minister of Human Resources, Mustapha Sakmud, said departments and agencies under the Ministry offer comprehensive services and cover all aspects of the skilled workforce development. These include development of skill standards, commissioning and certification of skills, training for teaching staff, course funding, supply courses for students and the general public.
In addition, it provides various incentives to make it easier for workers to follow training from time to time.
Among them is the Air Conditioner Certified Technician (ACCT) programme where HRD Corp agreed to finance part of the ACCT course fees conducted at the Human Resources Department Training Institute (ILJTM) for participants in the Small and Medium Industries (SMEs) category.
“Such facilities need to be utilised to the best of the workers’ ability, especially those from SMEs,” he added.
He said close cooperation between the industry and the institutions offering TVET courses is essential to ensure the programmes and courses are relevant and meet the needs of the industry.
This is vital in ensuring no significant gap between the competencies of graduates trained by TVET institutions and the competencies expected by the industry, he said, here.
Also present were the Director General of Department of Manpower, Shakib Ahmad Shakir; Chief Operating Officer, Daikin Malaysia, Shogo Ando and Deputy Director of ILP Sandakan, Suhardi Mustar.
He also visited the Socso Career Carnival at the Sandakan District level held at the Sandakan ILP Badminton Hall.
The three-year MoA was implemented in collaboration between the Department of Manpower (JTM) and the leading air conditioner manufacturer, Daikin Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Dama).
Mustapha appreciated the role played by Daikin and JTM in providing training and certification programmes for air conditioning technicians.
JTM and Dama have been working together since 2019 in the implementation of the Air-Conditioner Certified Technician (ACCT) programme specifically designed to improve competence and skills of participants in operating air conditioners, especially Dama products such as Daikin and Acson brands.
This programme is also carried out in 10 ILJTMs throughout Malaysia.
At the initial stage, the ACCT Residential Air Conditioner (RA) Installation Course was implemented first, starting at two locations, namely at ILP Kuala Lumpur and High Technology Training Centre (ADTEC) Shah Alam and then expanded to eight other ILJTMs in 2021 in ILP Kepala Batas, ILP Ipoh, ADTEC Melaka, ADTEC Batu Pahat, ILP Kota Baharu, ADTEC Kemaman, ILP Kota Samarahan and ILP Sandakan.
This programme offers three different courses such as Residential Air-Conditioner (RA) Installation, Residential Air-Conditioner/SkyAir (RA/SA) Cleaning and Residential Air-Conditioner (RA) troubleshooting which involve theoretical and practical training.
Participants who pass the programme evaluation test will receive a certificate and ACCT card from Dama as well as a Skill Improvement Certificate from ILJTM to signify that they are recognised as certified and competent technicians and be able to improve their standards of living.
This ACCT programme collaboration is one of the good examples of smart partnership between government and industry in TVET.
Dama provides specific training for Daikin ILJTM Academy instructors involved before conducting the training for the participants.
In addition, Dama also donated part of the equipment and hardware used in the ACCT programme at ILJTM.
The government urged employers, especially companies related to air conditioning equipment, to take the opportunity to send employees to attend the ACCT certification programme as part of it fees is funded under the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Skills Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad (HRD Corp) Scheme).
Those interested are invited to attend courses under this programme at the nearby Daikin Academy.
Mustapha said the Ministry is also in the process of bringing forward a proposal for a progressive salary based on the certificate of a person which is equivalent to the existing expertise.
On TVET, he explained, a total of 24 MoUs had been implemented with the private sector and training providers as recommended by the Prime Minister who wants young people to be empowered with skills.
In other developments, on students undergoing industrial training (interns), it is clear that the Ministry is also committed to ensuring that government-related bodies (GLCs) are able to provide them with at least RM800 allowance followed by other companies.
On the post-endemic oil palm industry that requires foreign workers, he said around one million applications had been received from the parties concerned for the 3D or dirty, difficult and dangerous job sector.
He said there are currently 32 IILJTM campuses throughout Malaysia with the latest enrollment of 15,455 students and would increase to 20,487 students with the admission of new students in August.
One of the fields offered at the institution is refrigeration and air conditioning where 13 ILJTMs offer this course at certificate and diploma levels.
Students will learn refrigeration technology used in freezer systems as well as domestic and commercial air conditioning technology.
Air conditioning system technology is classified under the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (or simply HVAC) classification.
ILJTM also offers various types of short-term courses in HVAC in order to improve workers’ skill level through upskilling (skill improvement) and reskilling (learning new skills).
These people are the main target for participation in the courses offered at the Daikin Academy at ILJTM.
So far there are three types of ACCT courses offered at the Daikin Academy at ILJTM involving Residential Air-Conditioner (RA) and Sky Air Conditioner (SA).
Meanwhile, Shogo said Daikin had successfully trained 1,000 trainees since the programme started with the ILJTM and ILP.
