Wednesday 24 October 2012

CHALLENGES AN INGRAINED MINDSET






GRADUATION.... Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Yee Moh Chai, representing the Chief Minister handing the graduation certificate to ILP trainee, Crissma Erna Sagulu.

By : REBECCA CHONG

THE 8th convocation of Institut Latihan Jabatan Tenaga Manusia (ILJTM) Sabah and Labuan was held at the Institut Latihan Perindustrian (ILP), Sepanngar, Kota Kinabalu last Saturday (20th October 2012). Representing the Chief Minister was Dr. Yee Moh Chai, Deputy Chief Minister and  Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology. 752 students from the ILP Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Labuan received their certificates.

Being one of the institutions under ILJTM, Institut Latihan Perindustrian or ILP offers 2 to 3 years of formal technical training to their students. At the end of the training period the trainees who pass out of the institute would each receive a certificate which qualifies them for jobs in the field of their training. The certificate may also lead to further studies or to courses at Diploma level.

Romli Hassan, the Director-General of Human Resource Department explained that the ILP students receive very practical technical training, which gives them live experience about the job they train for.

"Unlike most of the academic Diploma holders, ILP students are  trained to do the real job with the real equipment and they do so in real working environment to prepare them for the real thing when they finish training," Romli added.

He further pointed out that a recent study showed that 56% of the trainees who graduated last year managed to get a job within 6 months. 24% went for further studies to Diploma level. 8% were offered jobs but have rejected the job offers. For some reasons 12% are still looking for jobs.

Romli cited a few reasons why some trainees are unemployed months after passing out of the training institute. He said some turned down job offers because the work place is far from home. Some think the wages offered are too low while others are simply not interested in the job offered to them.

According to Romli, despite some disappointing figures the overall numbers seem to indicate that ILP students are in demand. Developers and contractors in public sector jobs and private sector construction sites have for years hampered by a serious shortage of skilled workers.

He said there is no question of ILP trainees not getting jobs after graduation. The real situation is that ILP does not get enough enrolment to meet the demand for skilled workers.

Romli is upbeat about the job prospects of his trainees. He cited the case of 80 trainees who passed out of a Pipe and Gas Programme, a joint undertaking between Human Resource Department and PETRONAS.

He said even though the 80 graduates were not tied to any contract with PETRONAS, PETRONAS has offered all 80 of them with employment even before their convocation ceremony. Romli Hasssan believes that many young people in Sabah need to change their  mindset that sees academic education as more preferable to skills training. With skilled workers being in great demand nowadays, bright prospects await those who go for skills training such as those offered by the ILP.

"100,000 SPM-fresh-graduates enter the job market every year without any skills training. This is sad  when we are providing skills training in a fully equipped institute. I wish parents would consider this opportunity and start enrolling their children into ILP, " Romli added.

In his speech read by Datuk Dr. Yee Moh Chai, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology at the convocation ceremony Chief Minister Musa Aman said that the state government stresses technical training as prerequisite to increasing productivity and competitiveness in a high-income economy that the country is aiming towards. (Insight Sabah)

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