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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