PSDC 30TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER & BOOK LAUNCH
PSDC 30TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER & BOOK LAUNCH
SPEECH BY GUEST OF HONOUR,
YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW, CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG
2nd AUGUST 2019, EQUATORIAL HOTEL
Good evening to everyone. I’m honoured to be here to celebrate the 3rd decade of the Penang Skills Develoment Centre’s success with all of you and to officially launch the PSDC 30th Anniversary Book.
First and foremost, I would like to congratulate PSDC’s Management Council and corporate members, as well as all staff – for reaching this significant milestone this year. The Penang Skills Development Centre (PSDC) is the first skills development centre in Malaysia and I am proud that it has maintained its position as the premier talent development institution in Penang and Malaysia since its establishment 30 years ago.
The State Government, through the Penang Development Corporation, played a major role in establishing PSDC together with the Industry and financially supporting its first year of operations. The PSDC was able to stand on its own after that initial year and has been financially independent since then. This signifies and proves that what the PSDC has been doing is relevant and up to date. Not only that PSDC possessed a workable business model, the institution also stands out as a role model in its practices of transparency and accountability.
I believe we can agree that PSDC’s core strength and specialty is its industry network. The PSDC is one out of a few, if not the only institution which is able to bring together the heads of large local and leading international companies to provide leadership and strategic direction in terms of human resources development initiatives and programs in Penang and Malaysia.
In the past three decades, the PSDC has proven time and time again that it is able to serve as a conduit between the Government and the Industry. The PSDC is a neutral yet effective platform for the Government and the Industry to come together to discuss pertinent issues related to industrialisation in Penang and its people. Many times, we have seen PSDC step up to champion these issues and take leadership to pioneer new initiatives and programs as a direct result of the many brainstorming meetings and engagements between the State Government and Industry.
It is also with hope that PSDC will play a key role in helping the state government to achieve the Penang2030 vision by creating advance readiness of local manufacturing industries for the digital age and green economy. Besides that, with this advance readiness, talent recruitment will not be an obstacle for growth.
On behalf of the Penang State Government, I would like to express my sincerest appreciation to the Penang State Development Centre for being a vital player in supporting the economic growth and industrial development in Penang for the past 30 years. I am very proud of this unique establishment and my wish and hope is for the PSDC to stay successful in the years to come and continue to drive talent development and economic growth for Penang and Malaysia in this next decade and beyond.
Congratulations once again to all PSDC members and staff.
Thank you.