GEORGE TOWN: The Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) is continuing dialogue sessions with industry players in the electrical and electronics (E&E) and semiconductor sectors to gather feedback on specific needs for upskilling students.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the feedback aligned with the government’s efforts to ensure higher education prioritises industry needs.
“I am in Penang today for a dialogue session, particularly with industry players in the E&E and semiconductor sectors. The government seeks their views on how we can collaborate with the industry, especially in the context of academia-industry relations between universities and businesses.
“One of the approaches we are emphasising now is aligning education with industry priorities. Therefore, we need to understand the major challenges at hand.
“The meeting provided valuable insights from industry players, who offered various views and more effective recommendations, particularly in identifying and developing the talent required by the industry,“ he told reporters tonight.
Zambry was met after attending the Kembara Ramadan KPT 2025 programme at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) today, marking his fourth visit under the initiative.
He said KPT was also committed to strengthening ties between education and industry, particularly in nurturing and developing student talent.
“This is in line with the government’s efforts to ensure higher education prioritises industry demands, including producing graduates who meet industry requirements.
“When we engage with the E&E and semiconductor industries, we find they have diverse and highly specialised needs. For example, they need engineers but with specific specialisations.
“These are some of the key aspects they have highlighted for our attention. They also suggested steps to enhance collaboration between universities and industry to accurately address workforce demands,“ he said.
