PENANG, 20 March 2013 - Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Polymer Industrial Skills and Development Centre (PISDEC) collaborated in creating Polymer Certification Course In Product Design 2013 for FELDA children.

FELDA Chairman, Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad said the joint venture was sealed through a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed with USM in a special ceremony here recently.

He said such collaboration is made to give FELDA children who did not fare that well in their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exam a second chance to obtain at least one skill for themselves.

“It is important to ensure that those who could not get a place in higher education institutions are equipped with skills to be competitive in the job sector.

“It also gave an opportunity to the children of the second FELDA generation to generate revenue in a variety of career-related skills,'' he said after the launch of the collaboration here recently.

He added that, to date, more than 35,000 FELDA children have benefitted from the programme which was introduced in 2005 with the participation of more than 80 skills institutions in the country.

Commenting on the cooperation with USM, Isa said it was the first ever held and hoped that more FELDA children will take the opportunity to participate in the courses offered at the leading institution.

He had earlier presented certificates to about 150 students who have completed PISDEC courses offered jointly with USM through the School of Arts (SoA).

Also present at the event were the Director General of FELDA, Datuk Faizoull Ahmad; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) of Industry and Community Network, Prof. Dato’ See Ching Mey representing the Vice-Chancellor and DVC of Student Affairs and Development, Prof. Adnan Hussein.

PISDEC was represented by its managing director, Mustafa Bakar Rizal. - Text: Marziana Mohamed Alias/Photo: Mohd Fairus Md Isa/Translation: Tan Ewe Hoe