Platform For Enhancing Skills
By Lyna Mohamad

Bandar Seri Begawan - The 6th Asean Skills Competition hosted by Brunei Darussalam was officially opened yesterday by HRH Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office, at the International Convention Centre in Berakas.

Arriving at ICC, His Royal Highness was greeted by Minister of Education, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Abd Rahman, Deputy Permanent Secretary Hj Mohd Daud Hj Mahmud, who is chairman of the organising committee of the competition, and Acting Director of Technical Education, Awg Jamal Hj Kahar.

The minister noted that the competition is a platform - for participants to show their abilities and skills as well as to foster technical cooperation in vocational and technical education and training between Asean member countries.

He added that it also encourages close cooperation between governments, industries, employers' and workers' organisations and vocational training institutions and provides a vehicle to recognise work excellence and develop a new generation of highly skilled workers.

"It has been said that living in this age of knowledge and rapid technological advancement, our young adults may find that they need to be retrained several times in their career to keep abreast of new developments or they may need to change careers several times in their lifetime."

He pointed out that it is essential that the scope of their experience while at school enables them to acquire the relevant knowledge and skills for future employment and for managing changes in their career pathways.

He said that the Ministry of Education will continue to expand the provision of vocational and technical education and training in the country. There are plans in the 9th NDP to expand the capacity of the country's vocational and technical institutions to enroll more students in the system.

The MoE is also exploring the possibility of broadening the programmes based on the national diversification plan. He noted that this includes offering programmes at higher levels, from diploma to post-diploma-and undergraduate levels.

This year's competition will see 135 competitors representing Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and host country Brunei Darussalam, compete in 12 skill areas. Myanmar is taking part for the first time. The participants, aged under 22 years old, are champions in their own countries and will be competing for three days.

The competition starts today with the Electronic Application, Computer Aided Drawing & Design (CAD), Information Technology and Ladies Dressmaking to be conducted at the Plenary Hall of ICC. Meanwhile, the Banquet Hall will host the Restaurant Service Category, while the Multipurpose Hall will be the venue for the Automobile Technology, Commercial Wiring and Plumbing categories.

Three skill areas will be competed at the Indoor Stadium, namely, Cabinet Making, Welding and Bricklaying. Cookery will be competed at the Sultan Saiful Rijal Technical College. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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