KUALA LUMPUR (July 7): Gamuda Bhd and VTAR Institute (VTAR) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to launch a new technical and vocational education and training (TVET) course for next-generation (next-gen) Digital Industrialised Building System (Digital IBS).

In a press statement on Friday (July 7), Gamuda noted that this RM30 million partnership will see the company collaborating with VTAR to create the Certificate in Digital Manufacturing in Construction programme. The first intake for this programme will be launched in September 2023.

Open to all Malaysian students, this 24-month training programme will consist of three months of soft skills training in VTAR, followed by 21 months of on-the-job training with the actual work environment, and final assessment at Gamuda’s next-gen Digital IBS factory in Banting. It aims to equip trainees with the most up-to-date construction industry skill sets and enhance the competitiveness of local industries in the global market.

This partnership, which is expected to deliver 600 trainees in the next five years, is part of Gamuda’s commitment to invest in local talent. It is aligned with the government’s vision to make Malaysia a fully developed industrial nation.

Due to the increasing attention and prioritisation on sustainable development, Gamuda’s property arm — Gamuda Land — will have 90% of its units built with next-gen Digital IBS, which translates to over 3,000 units yearly.

Gamuda’s Digital IBS system digitises the construction process from cloud-based design to robotic manufacturing and lego-like installation on site, allowing a 55% reduced reliance on unskilled foreign workers. Aside from gains in productivity and efficiency, it also enables a 40% reduction in embodied carbon. This new approach in construction is the way forward, and the TVET trainees will be well equipped with Gamuda’s digital design and robotic manufacturing expertise.