LONDON: All vocational courses at Felda Foundation colleges beginning next month will be certified and accredited by leading global skills development organisation - City and Guilds.
The move will provide students at the colleges more opportunities to be better skilled in their chosen areas of profession in preparation of their entry into the workforce.
City a Guilds is celebrating 136 years of helping young people develop skills for jobs this year.
The partnership between City & Guilds and Felda Foundation colleges which began two years ago, culminated with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and subsequent accreditation by the organisation for English courses provided by the Foundation’s colleges at Kelana Jaya, Mempaga, Raja Alias and Trolak.
To date, the colleges have produced 2,888 graduates - mostly second and third generation Felda settlers.
Felda Chairman, Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad said the latest collaboration will see Felda Foundation students receiving International Vocational Qualifications (IVQ ) certificates at post-secondary and undergraduate level of training, it has been specifically designed for the global marketplace.
The programmes have been designed to measure candidates’ theoretical knowledge as well as their practical skills, so that they can meet the demands of any job in areas such as hairdressing, beauty therapy, tourism, telecommunications and retailing.
Available at three levels; certificate, diploma and advanced diploma, the IVQs are recognised in over 100 countries and afford excellent opportunities for professional development.
Isa added that the main reason for the collaboration is to provide a second opportunity for high school leavers in Malaysia, especially the new generation of Felda settlers, to fulfil their dreams in furthering their education at tertiary level, especially in technical and vocational training.
"This approval and accreditation by the City & Guilds will give the opportunity to students to get world class vocational certificates and thus help them to increase their family income and get a better living standard compared to the previous generation," he said.
Director of International Operations at City & Guilds, John McGee said:" We see this as a partnership between our both organisations. We have shared values on what we want to achieve and we admire the work that has been done particularly to give opportunities to people from poor background and allow them more choices in life."
As a result of these collaborations, five students from Felda Foundation colleges will begin a three month course at West Cheshire College in Chester, north west of England, sponsored by Felda's D' Saji.
Managing Director and CEO of Felda Foundation Datuk Seri Dr Emel Faizal Dato Mokhtar said depending on their performance and qualification, students will have an opportunity to further their studies at the University of Chester.
Felda Foundation signed MOU's with West Cheshire college and the university during a visit last year.