Scholarships given by industry players for polytechnic students to pursue education at Private Higher Education Institutions (IPTs) will be intensified in the future.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said such collaborations, which included offers of employment were seen as part of efforts to ensure Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) became more mainstream.

"Collaborations like these, between Public IPTs and private institutions with corporations is good, as we see today (Thursday), Gamuda Berhad (Gamuda) has provided scholarships to cover tuition fees for polytechnic students to study at the INTI University.

"Not only that, the Gamuda-sponsored students will also be offered jobs. We will continue to intensify this collaboration model so that more public and private institutions can not only cooperate among themselves, but also with the industries," he said.

Idris was speaking to reporters at the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between INTI International University and the Department of Polytechnic Education (JPP), under the ministry.

The MoU, signed by INTI International University chief executive officer Tim Bulow and ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Noorul Ainur Mohd Nur, was witnessed by Idris and INTI International University Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Rahmah Mohamed.

Idris said under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP), 60 per cent of the total labour opportunities would require relevant TVET qualifications, and such cooperation would also help increase confidence in TVET programems as one of the main options for parents and students.

"We want TVET programmes to be mainstream...we do not want to see TVETs as being unattractive...therefore, such collaborations will be continued for the advancement of higher education as a whole," he added.

Meanwhile, Bulow said the agreement provided an incredible opportunity for outstanding Malaysian students to study world-class engineering programmes at INTI.

"As part of the Laureate International Universities network, one of the largest networks of universities worldwide, INTI students also gain access to international resources and experiences that will give them an edge in their future careers," he said.

Gamuda is giving out three-year scholarships for Enginnering programmes to 50 polytechnic students nationwide, while nine students from Politeknik Ungku Omar, Perak; Politeknik Port Dickson; and Politeknik Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah, Shah Alam, have officially been awarded. -- Bernama