A HUNDRED days have come and gone with the new government, and the people have looked to the country’s leaders for a progressive way forward for the country.

       High on the coattails of the 100-day Aspirasi Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family Aspiration) celebration, the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) and Manpower Department (JTM) have also contributed to their share of meeting key performance indicators.

       Their joint efforts were in the area of human capital development, by helping equip Malaysians with skills to obtain employment.

       HRD Corp is the central agency responsible for managing all human capital development programmes in the country.

       Niosh, on the other hand, is responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness.

       Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan at the launch of SCOPE on Nov 17 this year.

       Meanwhile, JTM is mandated to produce a skilled workforce for the country from training certificates to advanced diplomas across various skill sets, by establishing training institutes called ILJTM nationwide.

       Second chances

       One such programme is SCOPE, which stands for Second Chances and Opportunities for People to Excel.

       A collaboration with the Malaysian Prison Department, the programme provides current and former detainees with income-generating job opportunities.

       The training provided includes technical skills, industry-specific skills, soft skills and personal development. In the course of 100 days, SCOPE had 1,000 participants in its pilot phase between September and December this year.

       Too many ex-detainees are condemned to a life of unemployment and under-employment with ongoing costs to themselves, the economy and to society at large.

       Initiatives like this directly address this issue.

       Saravanan at the Ansonex Tapah Occupational Safety and Health training centre launch in December 2021.

       For one beneficiary, Low Weng Seng, 36, he found that SCOPE eased him into the competitive job market.

       “The first time I was sent to prison, I was there for seven years. The second time, I was there for 10 months. That’s also when I joined SCOPE.

       “After the programme, I managed to secure a job that I’m happy with. I feel that at least even though I was stuck behind bars, I didn’t waste my time and was able to build skills for employment in the future,” he added.

       Such initiatives are also a crime-fighting strategy, since without financial security or secure jobs, ex-detainees can find themselves falling back into old habits.

       For 50-year-old Rahim Jaafar, who was in and out of prison 20 times before joining SCOPE, it was difficult to reintegrate into society without the programme’s help.

       He said, “I’m thankful that SCOPE has given me the skills I need to earn a legitimate income.

       “It’s given me another opportunity to continue with my life. I recommend anyone who’s considering the programme to take it. Don’t waste that chance.”

       Various training and courses were conducted to upskill Malaysians, such as the pictured ‘Build Your Own PC: A Step by Step Guide’ tech course, held in Penang in November this year.

       Meanwhile, 29-year-old former nurse Summayah found a new life working at WRP Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd as an operator before resigning after four months due to health issues.

       “A friend of mine had used my bank account to funnel dirty money in 2018. They were running a scam and I had no clue until 2020, when the authorities came to my workplace and arrested me,” she said.

       For Summayah, who came from a “regular” family, the new prison environment was overwhelming.

       “I couldn’t take the changes and at one point I contemplated taking my life. I was depressed and being in prison with different and possibly dangerous characters was life-changing.

       “When I left prison last March, it was a tumultuous time for me. I couldn’t go home just yet so I decided to join SCOPE. I just took everything they taught me and absorbed it all like a sponge.”

       Summayah also shared that she picked up skills like financial responsibility to better manage her finances, alongside sewing skills.

       “After quitting my WRP job due to medical issues, SCOPE was the only thing out there that treated me like family and took care of me. No matter what time of the day, if I were in any pain, they would take me to the hospital,” she added.

       Learning technical skills

       During Sept 20 to Nov 23 this year too, 1,448 people attended some short-term courses at 32 ILJTMs across the country.

       Of the 1,448 people who signed up, 1,126 were Malays, followed by 82 Indians and 56 Chinese; whereas 100 were bumiputera Sabahans and 58 bumiputera Sarawakians, with 26 of other races.

       The courses consisted of technical webinars named TechTalk and special technical programmes named TechCourse, both of which were free for Malaysians to sign up and participate in.

       As of Nov 23 this year, JTM has provided 170 skills courses to 17,059 participants, far exceeding the initial target of just 4,800 participants.

       The goal of the programmes is to help enhance the personal capabilities and skills of those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially fresh graduates and those who have lost their jobs due to it.

       Part of the courses that have been implemented are industrial collaborations to ensure that the skills taught are in line with industrial and market needs.

       K. Jagatheesan, 38, recently completed a course on video editing using Adobe Premier Pro CC. Part of the real estate industry, Jagatheesan found that it was rapidly becoming a digital market.

       “I took this course to help promote new housings and projects since a lot of the marketing now has shifted to online.

       “When I first started the course it was all Greek to me, but I eventually caught up because the lecturer provided easy-to-follow materials. I wanted to learn how to cut, edit and create videos not only for myself but also for my company.

       “This skill has made it easy for me to connect with potential home owners.

       “Instead of the traditional brochures, the video format makes it easy for them to get the info they need when browsing,” he added.

       Almost all participants were very satisfied (86.89%) with the courses, with the majority (91.08%) saying the instructor was experienced with the subjects at hand.

       They were also satisfied with the level of effective communication between participants and lecturers (88.09%), with good rapport helping to improve their skills (88.03%).

       On the other hand, 26-year-old Allen Jaliel took up an Automotive Career Course at the Industrial Training Institute Kota Kinabalu.

       “I’ve always been interested in cars, so when my cousin told me about this programme, I signed up almost immediately online.

       “I just got hired recently as a workshop attendant, so this course directly helped equip me with the skills I needed.

       “We had theory and we also had practical classes for three months over the year-long course.

       “Nowadays, getting a job is difficult with how saturated the market is, but jobs that use practical skills like mine is a field where people can explore more,” he shared, adding that he had plans to open his own workshop eventually.

       Safe, healthy work culture

       Entities like Niosh have acted as a catalyst in promoting occupational health and safety to create a self-regulating Malaysian work culture.

       Aside from increasing job marketability of candidates, providing safety awareness in the workplace and reducing foreign worker dependence, this is also in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s Occupational Safety and Health Master Plan 2021-2025.

       Niosh conducts trainings regularly, which also strengthens the foundation of a safe and healthy work culture to eventually raise the Malaysian well-being index with its Safety and Occupational Health Induction courses.

       For rising gems like Nur Farhana Aimi A. Rahman, 20, who now interns at Petronas, Kerteh in Terengganu. Farhana, who studied Industrial Hygiene and Safety Technology at UiTM Bukit Besi, is passionate about delving into the oil and gas industry.

       “The Oil and Gas Safety Passport (OGSP) I took with Niosh opens the doors to more opportunities for me.

       “So for example, my Safety Passport allows me to not only go into the oil and gas industry, but also construction, with a ‘green card’, if I really want to,” she said, adding that the OGSP is a requirement for those in the industry.

       Meanwhile, 21-year-old Muhamad Hilmi Azman Jifry is continuing his diploma studies at the Advanced Technology Training Centre Kemaman in Terengganu.

       With a base knowledge in process instrumentation, Niosh was the logical next step in building an employable portfolio.

       He said, “In my field, we look at controlling machine processes in factories or like in oil and gas industries. So with Niosh, I took their OGSP because it works like a ‘ticket’ for future jobs.

       “I still have a year left for my studies, but with the Niosh passport I feel more secure with myself and being able to find a job once I graduate.”