Answer to Oral Question PL205

QUESTION

Yang Berhormat Dayang Hajah Rosmawatty binti Haji Abdul Mumin

YANG BERHORMAT DAYANG HAJAH ROSMAWATTY BINTI HAJI ABDUL MUMIN asks the MINISTER OF EDUCATION to state how the Ministry implements overseas apprenticeship programmes for IBTE and the Polytechnic based on the Discovery Year concept of Universiti Brunei Darussalam to provide students of those institutions with opportunities to build industry skills directly, broaden global thinking, and establish international professional networks in order to strengthen the employability of TVET graduates and support the highly skilled workforce agenda?

ANSWER

Yang Berhormat Menteri Pendidikan

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Yang Berhormat Pehin Yang Di-Pertua and Your Honourable Members,

Peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings, good morning and greetings.

First of all, kaola would like to express the highest appreciation and thanks to Yang Berhormat Yang Di-Pertua for the opportunity given to kaola to answer oral question PL205 raised by Yang Berhormat Dayang Hajah Rosmawatty binti Haji Abdul Mumin.

Public Higher Education Institutions under the control of the Ministry of Education actively participate in student mobility programmes, which include student exchange programmes, studying abroad, research opportunities, and work placements or internships. Student mobility programmes offer opportunities to expand networks, gain international experience, strengthen language skills, enhance intercultural competence, and potentially improve students’ career prospects.

Alhamdulillah, apart from UBD, UNISSA and UTB, public TVET institutions, namely Politeknik Brunei (PB) and Institut Pendidikan Teknikal Brunei (IBTE), are also not left behind in involving their students through mobility programmes such as work placements or internships abroad:

1. PB introduced the International Internship Programme (IIP) beginning in July this year, where PB students in Business, ICT and Engineering have undertaken work placements in various industries in Malaysia for 5 months, aimed at providing students with global exposure and enhancing their competitiveness at the regional level.
2. IBTE introduced the IBTE Mobility Programme from early 2025, which provides students with opportunities to visit and study abroad for a certain period, such as collaboration with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), Singapore, which enables HNTeC students in Aircraft Engineering and Electrical Engineering to undergo a study visit programme at ITE. IBTE is also involved in organiser-sponsored international programmes, such as the Brunei Cybersecurity Association (BCSA) Overseas Learning Journey in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and The ASEAN TVET Friendly Match 2025 in Melaka and Kuala Lumpur.

TVET institutions will continue to actively expand cooperation networks with overseas institutions and industries to further develop pathways and opportunities for more of their students to participate in mobility programmes aimed at strengthening the employability of TVET graduates and supporting the highly skilled workforce agenda by providing relevant industry and global exposure.