KUANTAN, Dec 5 — The Pahang government has undertaken several initiatives to strengthen the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector, including the establishment of the Pahang Rail Academy (ARP).
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said the initiative is also part of the state’s preparation to meet the manpower needs of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, which is expected to begin operations in 2027.
“We are aware that the ECRL will require thousands of workers once it is completed, so we have established the Pahang Rail Academy.
“In addition, on the education front, we have the Pahang Skills Development Centre and Kolej Yayasan Pahang, which reflects the continuous efforts being made in this direction,” he told the State Assembly sitting today.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Mustapa Long (BN-Padang Tengku) about the state government’s efforts to produce quality and competitive workers in the TVET sector.
Wan Rosdy said the state government is optimistic that the programmes introduced under the initiative will begin to yield results in the coming years.
“So, give the state government the space to continue strengthening TVET, while also working to change the mindset of SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) graduates so they no longer view this field as a second option.
“I have seen individuals with these skills earning salaries of up to RM15,000… we can see that those who possess such expertise have a very strong chance of success,” he said. — Bernama
