AGREEMENT EXCHANGE CEREMONY BETWEEN PDC & WALTA
SPEECH BY YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW
THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG
AGREEMENT EXCHANGE CEREMONY
BETWEEN PDC & WALTA
28 November 2022 | Plaza WCOE, Batu Kawan
Dato’ Seri Lee Kah Choon
Special Investment Advisor to the Chief Minister of Penang
Dato’ Aziz bin Bakar
CEO of Penang Development Corporation
Mr. Moey Lip Seng
CEO of Walta Centre of Excellence
Distinguished guests,
Members of the press,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning.
I am pleased to be here today for the agreement exchange ceremony between PDC and Walta. Holding on to the aspiration of becoming a high-income state driven by a strong workforce and advanced technology, this agreement exchange is part of the State Government’s ongoing initiatives on talent development, especially on nurturing talent in Technical & Vocational Education Training (TVET).
As mentioned earlier, the Walta Centre of Excellence (WCOE) is a corporate skills development and TVET centre. In March of this year, PDC entered into a 15-year lease agreement with Walta for their expansion plan to develop a building adjacent to the existing Batu Kawan SME Centre.
On this note, I am pleased to share that up to date, over 1,400 total participants have attended the Corporate Skills Training held at WCOE, and over 110 total TVET graduates have been produced in the area of industrial automation and precision machining. I am hopeful that the number will increase further with this new building expansion.
Ladies & gentlemen,
The arrival of pioneer investors to Penang in 1972 has sparked the development of a vibrant industrial ecosystem and anchored the state’s position as a preferred location for multinational corporations (MNCs). Most importantly, Penang’s conducive environment also bodes well for the homegrown companies, such as Walta, which has grown to become renowned in its own right.
As we move forward and having embarked on technological innovation and digital transformation, the state is cognizant of the urgent need for talents to be nurtured for the jobs of the future.
In parallel to the rapid growth of Penang’s industrial ecosystem, the state remains committed to deepening and broadening the talent pool in Penang, through various STEM initiatives that are aimed at building a healthy talent pipeline to meet the industry’s growing demand and attract new strategic investments.
Aside from nurturing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions such as WCOE, some of the ongoing initiatives include the Penang Internship Subsidy Programme (PISP) which offers wage subsidies to local companies on the hiring of interns, Penang Future Foundation, which provides scholarships for deserving students, affordable housing for knowledge workers, as well as, constant engagements with industry players and institutions of higher learning to ensure the readiness of talent in the workplace.
As Penang celebrates the 50th anniversary of its industrialization this year, the State Government remains committed to offering a competent platform for all industry players to scale and thrive.
Through InvestPenang, PDC and other state agencies, we will continue to spearhead the development of a sustainable ecosystem, including the physical and digital infrastructure, workforce, environment and liveability of Penang, all of which are believed to set the state on the right trajectory to make Penang shine on the world map of technology.
With that, congratulations once again to PDC and Walta on this agreement exchange. My best wishes to all.
Thank you.