MIRI, Oct 12: Industries in the state are urged to embrace gender equity when employing students from industrial training institutes as their workforce.
In saying this, Miri Industrial Training Institute (ILP) director, Dr Rosnah Muhamad Tahir, believes that female students from the institute are equally as capable and qualified as their male counterparts.
She highlighted that most companies requiring technical skills preferred male students to work with them.
“Hence, we are hoping that the state government can look into the matter and do something about it,” she said, after visiting Miri Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Michael Teo at his office at Miri Waterfront at Jalan Sri Dagang here yesterday.
“We urge the government to do something in order to ensure that female students are marketable in technical fields as they are as qualified as their male counterparts.”
She also emphasised on the importance the institute placed on its students mastering the English language.
“The language has become essential as a communication medium in today’s world…and it helps to advance your career anywhere,” she said.
She added, ILP Miri aimed not only to produce skilled manpower, but also good workers; hence, it is crucial for its students to master technical skills and provide good human capital value.
Dr Rosnah disclosed that ILP Miri received nearly 1,200 enrolment applications but due to a lack of teaching staff, the institute only managed to accept 10 per cent out of that figure.
“Currently, ILP Miri has 45 lecturers, serving nearly 600 students. We lack about 20 staff, out of that number (lecturers) to ensure full capacity,” said Dr Rosnah.
ILP Miri is amongst three institutes in Sarawak providing technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to students.
“It has been considered as the driving force for sustainable development and operational priorities of the Industry 4.0,” Dr Rosnah shared. — DayakDaily
