| Danial Norjidi |
TECHNICAL Vocational Education and Training (TVET) must be at the forefront in addressing sustainable development, and it is an important education sector for providing individuals the opportunity to enhance their skills, as well as industry competitiveness and national economic development.
This was said in a speech by the Minister of Education, Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman, at the opening ceremony of the TVET International Conference yesterday.
On hand to deliver the speech as a personal representative of the minister was Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Bahrom bin Pengiran Haji Bahar, the Deputy Minister of Education.
“TVET, as the biggest provider for future skilled workforce, must be at the forefront in addressing sustainable development,” he said in the speech. “TVET must prepare graduates who are aware of sustainable development issues and at the same time, also act as the leading agent of change, to possibly reverse negative trends of development.”
“To do so, every TVET school must integrate education for sustainable development in the curriculum and at the same time practise it in daily activities in school to inculcate sustainable culture,” he highlighted.
Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Bahrom bin Pengiran Haji Bahar, the Deputy Minister of Education as the personal representative of the Minister of Education, Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman, delivering the minister’s speech during the opening ceremony of the TVET International Conference. – DANIAL NORJIDI
“In Brunei Darussalam we have been carrying out major transformations in TVET,” he continued. “We view TVET as an important education sector to provide the opportunity for individuals to enhance their skills in order to be part of an actively contributing workforce and also at the same time enhance industry competitiveness and national economic development.”
“TVET provides excellent options for those who excel in hands-on type work, thus enhancing social and career mobility for the individuals involved.” He explained that the transformation aims to reposition technical education as a choice at post-secondary level, capable of producing a highly skilled workforce in line with the needs of industries.
The programmes offered are demand-driven and competency-based, which are designed to meet the needs of the students, industry and the nation, he added.
The speech also touched on Asean, saying, “In the midst of the Asean integration, we should work hand in hand in addressing sustainable development, and support the Asean Economic Community, Asean Socio-Cultural Community and Asean Political Community,” he said, expressing his belief that the conference will contribute significantly to the first and second pillars of Asean integration.
“In response to the Asean Economic Community and Asean Socio-Cultural Community, we acknowledge the important roles of TVET in preparing the workforce that will meet the needs of the industries in the country and possibly in the region.”
He noted that, as reflected in the Asean Economic Community, labour mobility in the region will be less restricted which, “will certainly be a challenge” to the Asean nations, but that it will also at the same time “open new opportunities to job seekers and industries”.
“Due to the mobility of workers, the quality of competencies possessed by these workers needs to be monitored,” he said. “Therefore, TVET policymakers must ascertain that institutions uphold the high standard of training required for these competencies.”
He shared that the SEAMEO Council has placed TVET as one of the seven priority agendas of SEAMEO, specifically priority 4, which states, “Promoting technical and vocational education and training among learners and their parents, through more visible investments in the field and improving relevance of the curricula to focus on creativity and innovation.”
TVET High Officials in the region have gathered twice in response to this priority agenda and established the SEA-TVET initiatives focusing on harmonisation and internationalisation of TVET in the region, he noted. He also announced that under the Asean Five-year Work Plan (2016-2020), “Brunei Darussalam will play major roles” under Sub-goal 4: “Supporting the development of the TVET sector as well as lifelong learning in the region”.
This, he shared, is particularly by maximising access to TVET for employment and sustainable development as well as strengthening regional harmonisation for the advancement of quality TVET transformation through networking, partnerships and mobilisation of TVET personnel and resources.
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