James Kon
Since 2014, Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) has forged cooperation with 80 companies through Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signings. IBTE continues to welcome collaboration with companies, working together to equip IBTE students with industry skills in accordance with the current trend.
The importance of such collaboration was highlighted yesterday by IBTE Acting Director Dr Haji Mohd Zamri bin Haji Sabli in a speech at a MoU signing for two IBTE programmes of NTec Apprenticeship in Automotive Technician and NTec Apprenticeship in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (for July 2020 session).
Twelve companies signed to be part of the apprenticeship programmes with IBTE, represented by Dr Haji Mohd Zamri.
Acting Commissioner of Labour Muhammad Saufi bin Haji Ibrahim was the guest of honour at the MoU signing ceremony at the IBTE Mechanical Campus hall.
Dr Haji Mohd Zamri said, “IBTE is a statutory post-secondary technical institution that plays a vital role in educating and producing skilled, resilient students in the employment market. IBTE offers numerous programmes to fulfil the workforce and industries’ needs.”
“IBTE frequently works with stakeholders and industry players to ensure that highly-skilled students are those required in the workforce,” he said.
The Apprenticeship Training Scheme carried out by IBTE is a collaborative programme with related companies to provide on-the-job training to IBTE students.
With the apprentice programmes, students have the opportunity to acquire knowledge and practice them in a real work setting. Students will also obtain skills through monitoring and mentoring from highly-experienced personnel at each companies.
He said, “IBTE will continue to work hard to ensure students are equipped with skills and high-level capacities needed by industry stakeholders. From the best practices in Germany and Switzerland, the apprenticeship scheme is one of the very suitable models for that purpose.”
The local companies singing MoUs with IBTE to provide on-the-job-training for apprentices in the NTec Apprenticeship in Automotive Technician and NTec Apprenticeship in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning are QAF Auto Sdn Bhd, Ams Oil Pro Auto Services Sdn Bhd, Bengkel Kereta Berakas Sdn Bhd, Gadong Autoparts, GHK Motors, Grand Motors Sdn Bhd, Jati Transport Sdn Bhd, NBT (Brunei) Sdn Bhd, Premier Motors Sdn Bhd, Setia Motors Sdn Bhd, Sin Hing Auto Supply, TCY Motors Sdn Bhd, and two development services companies – Aconkleen Company and Daniel Engineering and Supply Sdn Bhd.
The signing aims to further foster ties between IBTE and the companies to facilitate training for students to reach the industry standards and needs and to fulfil the demand for skilled workforce.