MELAKA - The achievement of two individuals in winning the Prime Minister's Golden Hands Award demonstrates that the country's Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system is capable of producing skilled workers who meet industry requirements.
The award recipient in the WorldSkills Malaysia Youth category, Arrisa Nabiha Nor Hisham, 20, has demonstrated that car painting, a field often associated with men, can also be mastered by women through interest, determination and skills training.
She said her interest in the automotive industry began when she frequently watched her father carry out car maintenance work himself, including polishing vehicles and applying protective coatings to headlights.
"I believe that nowadays, jobs are not defined by gender. What matters is our ability to perform them. If we have an interest, we must also develop a thorough understanding of what we learn,” said Arrisa Nabiha, who completed a nine-month Level Three Malaysian Skills Certificate training programme in vehicle painting at GiatMARA Jengka, Pahang.
The eldest of three siblings said her training comprised six months of classroom learning and three months of industrial training.
She said her previous experience of working in car detailing for about six months, coupled with guidance from her instructors, had helped her master the skills, particularly in using a spray gun.
"I am very grateful to my instructor because from not knowing how to hold a spray gun to being able to use it consistently, he was always there to guide me through the ups and downs,” said Arrisa Nabiha, who is now working at a paint industry company, Toyo Ink (M) Sdn Bhd, in Seri Kembangan, Selangor.
Meanwhile, the award recipient in the WorldSkills Malaysia Instructor category, Mohd Raimi Masrom, 41, said his experience of working as an engineer at a semiconductor company in Muar for more than five years had been invaluable in his current role as a mechatronics instructor at ADTEC JTM Taiping Campus in Perak.
He said his 10 years of teaching mechatronics at the institution, coupled with his industry experience, had helped him prepare students for the industrial workforce.
"As a process and maintenance engineer previously, I gained extensive exposure to the operation and maintenance of industrial machinery.
"I encourage students to venture into mechatronics, particularly in the food, semiconductor, and oil and gas sectors, where the use of high-tech machinery and automation systems is widespread,” he said.
Commenting on the award, Mohd Raimi said the achievement would further motivate him to produce more highly skilled and competent students and youths who could meet industry demands.
He also said he encouraged his students to acquire comprehensive skills so that they would be able to perform various technical tasks independently upon entering the workforce.
On public perceptions of TVET, he said the field should not be regarded as an option only for those who perform less well academically, but rather as a strategic pathway towards building a successful career.
"Do not regard TVET as a second choice. It is a strategic pathway to a bright future,” he said.
As recipients of the Prime Minister's Golden Hands Award, Arrisa Nabiha and Mohd Raimi each received RM10,000 in cash, a certificate of appreciation and a trophy presented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Both recipients were also conferred the Malaysian Advanced Skills Diploma. - BERNAMA