GEORGE TOWN, January 18 – The signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Penang Youth Development Corporation (PYDC), Manipal International University, and SENTRAL College Penang. Congratulations to PYDC.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Manipal International University and SENTRAL College Penang for providing the opportunity to collaborate and cooperate with the Penang State Government in our agenda to develop youth holistically. I understand that through this MoU, we will be able to work hand-in-hand to promote, develop and establish the entrepreneurship, career, research, education, training, and development programs cooperation in the following fields –
- Community engagement / outreach / volunteerism,
- Education,
- Youth employment,
- Knowledge and skills transfer,
- Entrepreneurship,
- Student exchange,
- Career and personal development to the PYDC community, and
- Penang Youth Programs and other related advice/talk/seminar to students/youths (knowledge transfer).
During the awards presentation ceremony of the Young Excellence Award (YEA) last Saturday, Penang Chief Minister, YAB Tuan Chow Kon Yeow stated that Penang is facing a talents shortage issue. It must be addressed to move the economy of Penang forward especially when we want to compete with others in the era of IR 4.0.
Furthermore, the Education Ministry’s 2020 Annual Report showed that the percentage of upper secondary school students who are involved in STEM was 47.18% which is still considerably far from the national target of 60% as stated in the Science Outlook Report for 2017.
Indeed, the issue of shortage of talents especially in this field could deteriorate the country’s growth, especially when we are talking about the fields of electrical and electronics, manufacturing, and software development. Hence, the state government is committed to attracting and retaining talents to work and contribute to the growth of the economy in Penang.
Over the past two years, the Penang State Government through PYDC has initiated several initiatives and solutions to address issues on unemployment, skills mismatch, and many others among the youth. PYDC has worked tirelessly with various stakeholders from the industries on initiatives such as the job portal namely ‘We Want You’, ‘Penang Young Digital Talent’, career enhancement workshops, and others to ensure that our youth are equipped with the right skills, attitudes for jobs, and have opportunities to hone their skills and craft throughout the journey of their careers.
Penang is known as The Silicon Valley of the East by many Multinational Corporations investing in the manufacturing industry. The opportunities for youth here or in other states to seek internships and practical work experience are abundant. Talents will find their place as they seek employment opportunities with these multinational corporations, F&B, world-class hospitals, and business processing hubs after graduating.
Therefore, through this MoU, it is imperative to all of us here to rethink and take proactive approaches and solutions to help improve the performance of the youth which can match their skills to the job market. This will eventually ensure every youth maximize his or her potential and contribute to the growth of our economy particularly in Penang.
In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate PYDC, Manipal International University, and SENTRAL College Penang for this collaboration in the MoU. Surely, this signing ceremony will mark a momentous occasion between the state government and higher educational institutions to further strengthen youth development in Penang.
