James Kon
Higher education institutions are being called on to uphold His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s titah to explore micro-credentials, in view of an educational landscape that has been altered by the digitisation of the higher education sector and digital transformation in the industry.
Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education (MoE) cum guest of honour Dr Haji Azman bin Ahmad made this call during the opening of the Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) Career Fair 2022 yesterday.
“During the 33rd UBD convocation last January, His Majesty reiterated that micro-credentials offer a highly flexible and inclusive form of learning that allow skills and competencies to be acquired. It is suitable in a situation where we need skilled competitive workers and job seekers,” Dr Haji Azman said.
The MoE through its Lifelong Learning Centre (L3C) “will continue to play its role in accelerating and strengthening the country’s human resources development through the provision of lifelong learning opportunities”, he added.
Local institutions, training providers and industries were also encouraged to work together to help develop the nation’s human capital with the necessary skills and mindset to achieve the aspiration of the Brunei Darussalam Economic Blueprint and the manpower needs underlined by the Manpower Planning and Employment Council (MPEC).
The COVID-19 pandemic “has impacted all of us – individuals, organisations, businesses and the community at large – in terms of how we conduct our everyday lives. New kinds of jobs and careers, such as online businesses, have emerged. New, different skill sets are required.
There is increased reliance on new technologies and in such situations, we continue to be creative and innovative”, Dr Haji Azman said.
While the pandemic has rendered some jobs irrelevant, nonetheless, “we need to remain resilient. This has been proven in our ability to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of the work environment. The skills shift has led our local industries and businesses to look into ways to reskill and upskill the workforce”, Dr Haji Azman said.
In the spirit of moving forward collectively and staying on track to realising Brunei Vision 2035, he said.
“The MoE welcomes all stakeholders’ initiatives and support towards human capital development, which are aligned with its mission of delivering holistic education to achieve the fullest potential for all.”
Dr Haji Azman also expressed hope the career fair would benefit students, alumni and the public, and at the same time contribute positively to the employment rate and employability of local graduates in Brunei Darussalam.
