KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 (Bernama) -- The collaboration between D’Tandoor International Group of Restaurants and UNITAR University College Kuala Lumpur is expected to strengthen the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ecosystem in the culinary field while creating more career opportunities for local talent.
Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan said closer cooperation between industry players and educational institutions was essential to ensure skills training remained aligned with labour market needs.
“The government focuses on the development of skills training and integrated efforts between industry and educational institutions must be enhanced to produce a workforce equipped with relevant skills,” he said at the launch of the D’Tandoor-UNITAR Culinary Education Programme and Strategic Collaboration here today.
Also present were D’Tandoor International Group of Restaurants chairman Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Malik Abdullah and UNITAR University College Kuala Lumpur vice-chancellor and chief executive officer Dr Jagdeep Singh Jassel.
Khairul Firdaus said the collaboration marked a starting point for creating opportunities in education and career development for students, particularly in the culinary sector.
“We cannot operate in isolation. We must work together and ensure that every training provided genuinely benefits society.
“This approach is vital in facing the evolving and increasingly challenging world of work, including technological advancements and artificial intelligence (AI),” he said.
Meanwhile, Abdul Malik said the collaboration was driven by the need to provide culinary training that combines industry expertise with formal education.
“We have over 30 years of experience in the food and beverage (F&B) industry and wish to share our culinary expertise with more individuals so that the skills acquired can serve as a source of income.
“This programme also aligns with the government’s emphasis on upskilling and reskilling, particularly in responding to competition and rapid industry changes,” he said.
Jagdeep Singh said the collaboration was also in line with UNITAR’s ‘Employability by Design’ approach, which seeks to ensure that students’ education is directly linked to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
-- BERNAMA