KOTA SAMARAHAN: Upskilling and reskilling existing workforce can make digitalisation and automation transformation successful, and allows employees to be innovative and agile.
ASTEEL Group managing director Datuk Seri Victor Hii Lu Thian expressed that it was important for the group’s workforce to improve and learn new skills to achieve better results.
“Both ASTEEL and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) have always worked closely to design the modules customised to meet our company’s industrial needs.
“In this environment where we operate which is full of uncertainties and disruptions, we believe strongly in upskilling and reskilling our existing workforce to make our digitalisation and automation transformation successful.
“Thus, this collaboration between our company and UNIMAS is the way forward for us to achieve our goal,” he said.
He said this in his speech at the signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between UNIMAS, ASTEEL and UNIMAS Business School at the University House, UNIMAS here this morning.
At the same time, UNIMAS Vice Chancellor Datuk Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi in his speech said that the signing of MoA marked another achievement for the university with ASTEEL Resources Sdn Bhd.
He said UNIMAS’s Faculty of Engineering has numerous good connections with the industries through collaborations and by promoting the advancement of engineering and technology with industrial players.
“Today we are witnessing another achievement by the signing of MoA for the faculty to offer Certificate in Manufacturing Technology (CMT) for the third cohort in UNIMAS.
“This certificate is a specially tailored certificate course to equip the staff from ASTEEL with a structured manufacturing technology skills and knowledge to improve the productivity and work quality of their staff.
“We are honoured to have an industrial partner like ASTEEL to proactively willing to upgrade their staff competency with us,” said Kadim in his text of speech, read by Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academic and International Prof Dr Ahmad Hata Rasit.
In addition, he said that the certificate course will commence in July this year and consist of seven modules covering topics of work ethics, metal sheet forming, introduction to 5S and safety practice, basic computer, joining process and glass technology, basic electrical and measurement as well as project module.
Victor also shared that the course has produced a total of 40 graduates from previous two cohorts and the company would commence with the third cohort next month with another 25 employees.
“We will not stop at the certificate level because even as we speak now, our human resource team is already in discussion with UNIMAS for the Advance Certificate in Manufacturing Technology (ACMT) and eventually we hope one day these employees will go up to diploma level.
“I would like to urge other companies, especially home-grown Sarawak companies to join us in upskilling and reskilling our workforce to produce skilled, knowledgeable, innovative workforce to drive and grow Sarawak’s economy together,” he urged.
Also present were Deputy Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and Alumni Prof Ir Dr Al-Khalid Othsman, Assistant Vice Chancellor Leadership and Development cum Board of Directors UNIMAS Business School Prof Datuk Mohd Fadzil Abd Rahman,
ASTEEL Resources Sdn Bhd Group executive director Datuk Ir Michael Hii Ee Sing, Dean of Faculty of Engineering Prof Ir Dr Siti Noor linda Taib and ProCEL manager, UNIMAS Business School Dr Nur Fatihah Abdullah Bandar.
