NAPEI 2nd International Skills Conference 2013 - Transforming the Skills Workforce: Realising Opportunities and Challenges

Kuala Lumpur, 17 June, 2013 – The National Association of Private Educational Institutions (NAPEI) will be holding an International Skills Conference in Kuala Lumpur on 17 & 18 June, 2013 (Mon & Tues) for the second time.

The opening ceremony will be officiated by YB Dato’ Haji Ismail bin Haji Abdul Muttalib, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia.

Themed “Transforming the Skills Workforce: Realising Opportunities and Challenges”, the conference builds on the success of the inaugural skills conference last year. The two-day conference offers a stimulating platform for conference delegates to interact and learn from speakers who represent various industry sectors, employers and training providers in the region.

The conference recognises the importance of vocational training to create a skilled workforce, drive innovation, and develop advanced industries. It is also a terrific opportunity to foster the sharing of best practices, encourage new skills development opportunities, identify current challenges, and promote regional and international collaborations. Our Malaysian delegates will have a great opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with international counterparts from Victoria, Australia, the UK, and other countries.

The objectives of the conference are to:

·         understand the skills training transformation programme of Malaysia and its new initiatives

·         bring together the government, training providers and industry to create e­ffective linkages

·         enable Malaysian and international players with an interest in skills training to debate on current challenges and opportunities

·         understand the skills training challenges and potentials in Malaysia and other developing countries in facing liberalisation

·         provide a platform for sharing of experiences and opportunities that encourage collaboration between developed and developing nations

·         foster international networking to increase connections and collaborations on skills training and development

·         share best practices from around the world and promote learning from experience and evaluation

“It is timely for us to reinvigorate our skills and tertiary education system by identifying how skills and training can help address the big challenges of productivity, participation and social inclusion in the transformation of Malaysia into a high income economy nation,” said Associate Professor Elajsolan Mohan, President of NAPEI.

This year, the conference will focus on four industries, namely, automotive; hospitality and tourism; energy and resources; and building and construction. Among the highlights of the conference are sessions on foreign perspectives on vocational training and development; the role of training providers; global perspectives on HR policies for the skills sector; case studies on innovative and sustainable projects in skills development; making vocational education and training a profitable business; and many more.

There will also be three concurrent sessions for each of the four industries that focus on learning from international experience; institutional perspectives – practical approaches to help meet industry demand; and industry perspectives – fostering innovation and skills to meet demand.

Working with NAPEI as an event partner, the Victoria State Government, Australia will be sending Victorian institutions, both public and private, to the conference. Representatives from a wide spectrum of top tier VET providers will participate in this valuable conference and are keen to explore collaborative initiatives beneficial to industry and communities across the region.

Delegates of the conference can look forward to learning and participating through the various presentations, interacting with speakers and other delegates, and exploring opportunities and challenges in the skills sector. They will learn about innovative methodology, best practices, the latest in skills development, and many more.

The success of last year’s conference has led to a few developments in the skills sector which include the MoU signing ceremony between NAPEI and the North Melbourne Institute of TAFE and TVET of the UK.

The conference is made possible by partial funding in the form of a grant by the Performance Management and Development Unit (PEMANDU) of the Prime Minister’s Department. PEMANDU also provided a grant for last year’s conference which helped to subsidise the registration fees for participants.

The event partner of the NAPEI 2nd International Skills Conference is the State Government of Victoria, Australia and Study Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The conference is supported by the Jabatan Pembangunan Kemahiran (JPK) of the Malaysian Ministry of Human Resources, the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), and the Federation of JPK Accredited Centres (FeMAC). The event manager is StudyMalaysia Exhibition Sdn Bhd and the official online media is www.StudyMalaysia.com.

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About NAPEI

Established in 1987, NAPEI represents all levels of private educational institutions in Malaysia. With more than 70 members (comprising more than 100 institutions) across Malaysia, NAPEI together with the support of the Ministry of Education and other government bodies continue to represent the cause of local private educational institutions. Among its aims are to enhance and maintain the quality of education in the private sector, provide support for its member institutions, and act as a liaison between institutions and the government and statutory bodies.

NAPEI wishes to express its gratitude to the media for covering this event launch. For more information on the NAPEI 2nd International Skills Conference, please send an email to the NAPEI President Assoc. Prof. Elajsolan Mohan at [email protected]

This press release is prepared by the event manager: StudyMalaysia Exhibition Sdn Bhd

Contact number: 03-7880 3837; email: [email protected]