On 21 September 2023, the Sarawak Skills Group of Learning Institutions (Sarawak Skills) received three prestigious awards during the Malaysia Education & TVET Awards Ceremony 2023.

The awards ceremony was held in conjunction with the ASEAN HR Excellence Awards 2023 at the Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur. Officiated by Yang Berhormat Tuan Mustapha @ Mohd Yunus bin Sakmud, Deputy Minister of Human Resources, Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia, the three awards bestowed on Sarawak Skills are, namely Malaysia’s Best in Skills Training (Organization Brand Excellence – Presented to the Sarawak Skills Development Centre), Outstanding TVET Personality Award (Leadership – Presented to Mr. Hallman bin Sabri, Executive Director of the Sarawak Skills Group of Learning Institutions) and Best TVET Training Provider (Automotive & Welding – Presented to the Automotive and Welding Institute of Sarawak (AWISAR)). AWISAR is part of the Sarawak Skills Group of Learning Institutions. Last year (October 2022), Sarawak Skills received the Best TVET Training Provider Award (Industrial Training Category) during the inaugural Malaysia Education & TVET Awards 2022 in Kuala Lumpur.

The awards were presented by YB Tuan Mustapha, and witnessed by Mr. Lee Seng Chee, Managing Editor of Education & TVET Asia publication, and Yang Berbahagia Dato Rajendran Ramachandran, Honorary Chairman of Koperasi Pendidikan Swasta Malaysia. In addition to his Outstanding TVET Personality Award for Leadership, Mr. Hallman bin Sabri, Sarawak Skills’ Executive Director received the Malaysia’s Best in Skills Training Award (Organization Brand Excellence) on behalf of the Sarawak Skills Development Centre. Ts. Jaidil bin Yakop, General Manager of the Automotive and Welding Institute of Sarawak (AWISAR) received the Best TVET Training Provider Award (Automotive & Welding) on behalf of AWISAR.

Also present to share the joy and significance of the occasion were members of the Sarawak Skills Management Council, namely Yang Berbahagia Dato Hajjah Maznah binti Haji Dasmi (Secretary, Sarawak Skills Management Council), and Tuan Haji Hilmy bin Haji Othman (Treasurer, Sarawak Skills Management Council) together with the Sarawak Skills’ Senior Management Team and staff members.

During the sharing session by selected award recipients, Mr. Hallman bin Sabri who is also the Chairman of the Federation of Malaysian Skills Development Centres (FMSDC) shared on Sarawak Skills’ Voyage of Excellence over the past twenty-nine years, including various alumni success stories. Commenting on the three awards, he highlighted, “For the Sarawak Skills Group of Learning Institutions, the three awards will rank among our significant achievements during our ongoing voyage to facilitate the noble cause of talent development within Malaysia and distant shores. Indeed, the awards are an eloquent testimony to Sarawak Skills’ role and contributions as a stakeholder in the transformation of our nation’s economic, educational and digital landscape. In a nutshell, receiving these awards is a testament to Sarawak Skills’ unwavering commitment to fly the flag of excellence in post-secondary education, and training for current and future generations of the workforce.” He continued, “My thanks to Yang Berhormat Tuan Mustapha @ Mohd Yunus bin Sakmud, Deputy Minister of Human Resources, Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia for his tremendous support. On this momentous occasion, I also wish to take this opportunity to thank the Chairman of Sarawak Skills and the Management Council Members, our stakeholders comprising the government, various sectors of industry, parents, alumni, students and staff members for their support over the years. Indeed, they have contributed tremendously to the transformation of Sarawak Skills into an award-winning Hub of Industry-Driven Talent Development! Yes, today’s awards will spur us on to raise the bar even higher, especially in the development of an agile, future-ready workforce for Sarawak, and Malaysia as a whole.”

Mr. Hallman also shared, “Sarawak Skills works very closely with its stakeholders to facilitate various Talent Development initiatives. For example, with our technology partners comprising industry experts and practitioners from Malaysia and abroad, industries in Sarawak have ready access to, and benefit from the latest technologies. This will facilitate organizations’ strategic initiatives, especially in areas such as improving productivity, cost management, and fostering innovation. In short, this will go a long way towards contributing to the ongoing transformation of Sarawak’s six key sectors (main engines of growth) in line with the Sarawak Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030).”

For more information on the Sarawak Skills Group of Learning Institutions, please visit the Sarawak Skills official website at sarawakskills.edu.my or social media platforms (Facebook at Sarawak Skills and Instagram at sarawakskillsofficial).