SERIAN: Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem describes his England visit for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Emerging Leaders Dialogue dinner hosted by Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal, Princess Anne at St James Palace, London, as “most fruitful and historical”.
On his return here Friday, Riot, who is also Serian MP said besides feeling honoured by the invitation to the dinner, the Human Resources Ministry had had an interesting itinerary of its own.
Riot, who was in the Malaysian delegation that included Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg and State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Morshidi Abdul Ghani, said he had more than half an hour meeting with the Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland.
He said at that meeting he voiced Malaysia’s interest in extending pan-Commonwealth approaches to gender equality and inclusiveness as well as the ‘Commonwealth Advantage’, an economic-growth agenda to boost prosperity of the 52 member countries, and youth empowerment.
In particular, he said he stressed Malaysia’s interest in opportunities for technical and vocational education and training (TVET), which his ministry sees as a necessary component of Malaysia’s success formula to becoming a high income economy by 2030.
“We want to collaborate on ways to upskill our nation’s workforce,” he stressed.
He said it was for the same reason that he included in his itinerary a visit to the Welding Institute UK (TWI) and to Pearson UK the day earlier.
TWI is the professional membership arm of internationally renowned engineering and research technology organisation TWI. Since its formation in 1923, it has been supporting the careers of welding and joining professionals.
Pearson UK is involved in educational publishing businesses that include names like Edexcel, the UK’s leading awarding body, Heinemann, Longman and Financial Times Prentice Hall.
At Pearson Ltd, Riot and delegation, comprising Adrian Jerom, educational consultant and advisor to the minister; Datuk Mohd Shariff Hussin, chairman of Skills Devt Fund Corporation (SDFC); and its CEO Datuk Abdul Halim Muhammad Salleh, were briefed by Rod Bristow, president UK and core markets; and Jason Gregory, director and director of business development.
Riot said industrial training and upskilling are necessary to achieving this economic status given that of the 1.5 million jobs set to be created by then, 60 per cent of these jobs will require trained manpower.
“Our target is getting 35 per cent skilled Malaysian workforce from the current 28 per cent.
“I will be sending my officers to UK to further discuss with them. In fact, we have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Cardiff & Valle College on RPEL (Recognition of Prior Learning),” Riot added.
At the dinner, Riot was among three recipients of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Emerging Leaders Dialogue Pin award. The other two recipients are Johari and a Canadian. It was the first time that the HRH Princess Anne gave the award since the formation of the dialogue in 1956.
