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Corporate Background
There is history to establishment of KISMEC.
In mid 1980s there was a wold economic recession, which also affected the
economy of Malaysia. During this period many companies both local and
multinational had to adjust thier manufacturing activities to meet the low
demand of goods and products.
However this situation only lasted for a couple of years. By the end of 1980s
Malaysia experienced a sudden inflow of foreign investment in the manufacturing
sector.
New factories were built and the semi-skilled workforce grew tremendously,
especially technicians, assistant engineers and engineers in the field of
electrical, electronics, mechatronics and alike.
Local learning institutions such as universities, polytechnics, colleges and
other technical institutes were unable to supply the necessary workforce.
This acute situation had resulted in the scramble of the limited supply of
skilled and semi-skilled personnel by the manufacturing industries . Hence, it
created a situation whereby all categories of technical personnel moved from one
factory to another in a short period of time whilst enjoying higher salaries at
every new factory.
This had prompted the Federal Government to seriously look into the above
situation. The Penang State Government whose state had a high number of
multinational electronics companies encouraged the industries to train their
respective workforce in the relevant areas of skills requirement.
The joint effort between the Penang State and the multinational companies had
gained the attention of the Federal Government. In early 1990s, the Malaysian
Cabinet had agreed to the recommendation made by the Cabinet Committee on
Training for all state to form a Skills Development Centres in each state.
Thus, the Kedah state took up this suggestion and formed its owned Skills
Development Centre and named is as KISMEC - Kedah Industrial Skills And
Management Development Centre.
KISMEC was formed in Sungai Petani on 31 March 1993 and training activities
commenced from November 1993. In February 1998, KISMEC established a branch
campus at Kulim Hi-Tech Park.
Basically, the primary objective of KISMEC is to provide training programmes for
the enhancement of skills of existing workforce in the industrial sector.
Up to 31 March 2001, KISMEC has trained 7461 skilled and semi-skilled
employees and 646 high school leavers in the various technical, vocational
and management programmes.
Currently, there are thirteen Skills Development Centres. Only the states of
Perlis and Kelantan do not have such training centres.
All centres are formed by their respective State Government with financial
assistance from the industrial sector and the Federal Government. The Federal
Goverment gives financial grant solely for the purchase of training facilities,
training equipments and for the cost of construction or purchasing of building
for housing the skills centre.
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