JOHOR BARU: The Education Ministry plans to introduce the Upper Secondary Industry Apprenticeship programme (PIMA) to 300 schools nationwide by next year.
It's minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the ministry was currently in the process of identifying the schools that were suitable for the programme.
"Ideally the schools should be close to the industry where the students will be sent for training, probably within five or six kilometres, because if they are further, we might have a problem with transporting the students," said Mahdzir.
Under the PIMA programme, which will be offered to Form Four and Form Five students who prefer to undergo vocational training, students will spend two days in school while the remaining three days would be spent on skill training.
This was part of the ministry's efforts to promote technical and vocational training among Malaysian secondary school students.
"We plan to have about 20 to 25 students from each school to take part in the PIMA programme," said Mahdzir, speaking to the media after opening the Johor Baru District Education Office here.
Also present were the ministry's secretary general Datuk Seri Alias Ahmad and Johor Health, Environment, Education and Information Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat.
The PIMA programme was introduced earlier this year and SMK Bukit Rahman Putra in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, was chosen for the pilot project.
Among the proposed key sectors for the industrial training were agriculture, culinary arts, spa management, motorbikes and automotive, and air-conditioner repairs.
On another matter, Mahdzir said he would support any proposal that would improve the effectiveness of the police liaison officers in schools.
"Any proposal is welcome. However, we have to conduct further discussions on the matter to look at the details," said Mahdzir.
He said this when asked to comment on the proposal by the Johor police chief Datuk Mohd Khalil Kader Mohd for the ministry to create a special position in schools that would enhance the role for police liaison officers.
Khalil was reported as saying that this was important as the number of schools were increasing and the police may not be able to fulfill the requests for such officers due to the constraints on available personnel.