Fatimah (seated second right) with Dorge (standing fourth left), Noriah (seated far left), Serina (seated second left) and representatives from State Welfare Department, State Education Department and BPIEF.

KUCHING: The sixth Borneo Post International Education Fair (BPIEF) 2015 will focus on support services to help a school leaver make the leap from secondary to tertiary education.

Services include psychometric tests to help students find their aptitude, counsellors who can speak to students unsure about what they want to do, and a section for institutes that can provide loans.

“Even a small loan can mean a plane ticket paid off,” pointed out Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah.

Fatimah who is patron of BPIEF was speaking to reporters after being briefed by the event’s organising committee yesterday.

Also present at the press conference were State Welfare Department director Noriah Ahmad and State Education Department director Serina Sauni.

This year’s BPIEF will take place at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) from March 21 to 22 after STPM results are released.

SPM results will be announced in early March, so both Form 5 and Form 6 leavers can visit, explore options, and plan the next step in their education journey.

BPIEF chairman Dorge Rajah said that 52 exhibitors are confirmed, and 21 booths still available for booking on a first come, first serve basis. Booking forms are available at www.bpief.com.

“Our section on institutions that can provide funding include the Sarawak Foundation and PTPTN. The rest will be announced as they become available,” he said.

BPIEF’s exhibitors include universities, colleges, business schools, institutes, training schools, education consultants and agents, and the State Education Department in addition to service providers, and scholarship and education fund providers.

Various activities will be held during the duration of the fair including a blood donation campaign and a ‘Reach Out to Students’ programme.

The exhibitors confirmed so far include Education New Zealand, FAME International College, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, UCSI University, Market Management Services, Curtin University Sarawak Malaysia, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, PDVL Overseas Advisory, Cosmopoint College, MyCenTHE Executive College, Sarawak Foundation, Australia Business Centre (ABC), MAHSA College Sabah Campus, Advantage Learning Company, EducatioUSA – MACEE, AUG Student Services, Masterskill Global College Kuching, Maison Monica Hair & Beauty Academy, SEGi College Sarawak, Community College Kuching, Community College Mas Gading, JM Education Counselling Centre, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Universiti Teknologi Mara Sarwak, Kaplan Higher Education Institute Singapore, Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Technology Colele Sarawak, Imperia Institute of Technology, Educity Academy Sdn Bhd, Sunway College Kuching, Multimedia College (Sarawak), IDP Education Limited, Nusantara Institute of Information Technology (NIIT), Melaka Manipal Medical College, Kolej Yayasan UEM, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, ACCA, Messiah College, University of Reading, University of Southampton, Singapore Institute of Management, Asia-Europe Institute, University Malaya, Newcastle Medical University Malaysia (NUMED), Alvin Leong Academy of Photography, Open University Malaysia, Islamic Information Centre, Sarawak State Library, Wawasan Open University, Celcom Mobile Sdn Bhd, Easy by RHB, Borneoart Design Sdn Bhd, and AIESEC in Unimas.

For more information and to stay updated, visit the official website www.bpief.com or check out their Facebook page or Twitter account (@theBPIEF).

Interested exhibitors can contact or write to the BPIEF Secretariat at 082-330213 or email them at secretariat@bpief.com.