Skilled workforce to meet challenges

GIATMARA, a non-profit community-based technical institution, is committed to building and improving human capital in Sarawak, particularly among the rural and remote communities.

GRASSROOTS MEETING: Community leaders in Sungei Asap with officers from Giatmara.

Various long and short courses are being held — and constantly improved — to produce more skilled manpower for the job market.

In providing skills training and life-long learning to the communities, Giatmara will continue to promote the importance of knowledge through market-oriented courses and training to prepare the workforce for the implementation of the Sarawak Corridor or Renewable Energy (SCORE).
During her recent four-day working visit to the state, its chief executive officer Meriyam Abdul Majid said in line with the institution’s mission to train up more skilled workers, seven more branches in Sarawak were being planned under the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP).
“We expect the branches to be set up by early 2011, depending on federal government allocations,” she said, adding that presently, out of 31 parliamentary constituencies in the state, seven were yet to have their own permanent buildings or even temporary branches.
Since Giatmara’s inception in 1986, it was envisaged that all parliamentary constituencies nationwide should have their own Giatmara centres.
As such, Meriyam assured under the 10MP, temporary branches would be set up first in the seven parliamentary constituencies in Sarawak, saying: “After we have the branches, it will be easier for us to apply for permanent centres.”
It is proposed to set up the branches in Hulu Rajang, Kanowit, Sibuti, Lanang, Limbang, Igan and Kuching.
For Belaga and Sungei
Asap, she said Giatmara had found the places to set up its temporary branches following discussions with the ministers concerned, assemblymen and community leaders in the areas.
“In Belaga, there is an abandoned government building while in Sungei Asap, permission from the state Education Department is still needed to use part of the vacant SK Batu Keling building after the SMK Bakun is fully completed.”
Presently, students of SMK Bakun are temporarily housed at SK Batu Keling.
According to Meriyam, the Giatmara Belaga branch will come under the first phase of its new operations in the state this year whereas Sungei Asap will come under the second phase.
“However, this will depend on various factors such completion of Giatmara’s study and survey on the potential courses for the local communities,” she said, adding that Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Joseph Entulu had responded favourably to the proposal.
“Giatmara will operate in Belaga first, then Sungei Asap. The first intake will be in July this year for a course on welding technology, initially open to between 20 and 40 trainees.”
Asked why the course was not offered in its Bintulu branch, Meriyam said it was because Miri, which is closest to Bintulu, already had welding and sewing courses.
Moreover, the decision was based on the outcome of the survey, conducted by the community leaders in Belaga.
Meriyam said Giatmara would provide training and courses suitable for the locals.
“It doesn’t mean we have to introduce the same courses in every branch, especially when we are operating in a temporary building,” she explained.
Presently, the Bintulu branch offers two courses — automotive and repairing technology and vehicle spray.
Two function modes
According to Meriyam, Giatmara functions in two ways — trainees come directly to its centres or branches or Gitamara goes to the communities to conduct short courses and training.
“Usually, we operate three or four years in a temporary building and if there is potential for expansion after this, the permanent building will be put up. Probably, the courses will also be expanded.”
She pointed out that putting up a permanent building for the branches would require two to three acres of land and each fully-equipped branch would cost between RM6 million and RM8 million.
A permanent building can accommodate 80 to 100 trainees compared to only 20 to 40 trainees for a temporary one.
Meriyam said Giatmara was the only skills training institution targetting youth drop-outs.
Even though such youths might no longer be interested in pursuing their studies in the mainstream education system, she believed there were other things they could do like doing at least six to 12 months training in Giatmara.
There is no age limit — the present oldest trainee is in his 50s. Full-time trainees will be given a RM200 allowance as pocket money. The trainees can be upgraded to a higher level based on their requirements. They can enter Giatmara Prima, Institut Kemahiran Mara (IKM) or a polytechnic.
“It’s important for the young generation to unleash their hidden potential that should not focus solely on academics,” Meriyam said.
According to her, the institution is trying to get 85 per cent of skilled workers ready for the domestic job market from all Giatmara centres nationwide this year.
“We are also targetting to produce three to five per cent of entrepreneurs under the incubator programme. These trainees are encouraged to launch their own ventures because through their business network, they are more likely to recruit young Giatmara trainees to work for them.”
She disclosed under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the overall target (for entrepreneurs) was three to five per cent but under 10MP, it was around six to eight per cent — meaning of 125,000 trainees nationwide, about 10,000 from each state will be venturing into business.
As SCORE would provide plenty of job opportunities, Meriyam said Giatmara was committed to helping the state government by providing quality manpower through energy-related courses and training.
She added that one to three per cent of skilled workforce would be generated by Giatmara in the state for SCORE, par-ticularly to cater to industries in the energy field up till 2025 when the spill-over from other support services is expected to give the local population even greater job opportunities.
Presently, Giatmara offers about 30 courses nationwide with only 11 available for trainees in Sarawak but a new course on air-conditioning will be introduced soon to support the other services.
Giatmara regional manager Capt (Rtd) Azman A Samad who accompanied Meriyam during her visit, said about 40 per cent of students succeeded in gaining employment upon graduation last year and were working in their own fields with another 40 per cent in other fields or courses.
“The latest 10 per cent of our students are in entrepreneurship — which is 1,100 out of 14,000 trainees. These are the ones who have obtained a licence.
“Most are in the sewing, welding and motorcycle businesses,” Azman said, adding that seven entrepreneurs in Bintulu were in automotive and vehicle spray businesses.
Choosy about jobs
Despite the provision of training, there is a negative attitude, which, according to Meriyam, needs to be tackled immediately as it involves all levels.
She said former trainees tended to be choosy about jobs.
Some had been offered jobs by several automotive companies but refused to accept them because they did not want to work elsewhere and leave their families behind, she added.
“We helped them look for jobs but they didn’t want to go. To me, this is a great loss, especially after all their training.”
Citing an example, she said Proton had offered 160 vacancies to Giatmara trainees in Sarawak but only 20 accepted while of the 17 vacancies offered by Tan Chong Motor to the trainees in Kapit, only 10 took them up.
The worse was Sibu where none of the 23 vacancies offered by Tan Chong Motor was taken up due to the reluctance to work elsewhere.
“That’s why I initiated this working visit to meet the communities at the grassroots level, especially, in the rural areas, to educate parents on the need to give their children more freedom in choosing jobs.
“I know the longhouse folks are a close-knit community and sometimes it’s hard for the young ones to be separated from families.
“Thus, I urge for greater cooperation and support, especially from the assemblymen and community leaders, to create greater awareness among the young people and their parents on the importance to seize job opportunities even if it means migrating to work somewhere else,” Meriyam explained.
Although essentially a non-profit community-based technical institution, Giatmara also plays an important role in providing technical assistance to the local communities.
One of the projects was providing skills training to advanced level trainees in the drug rehabilitation programme, run by the government under the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK), she said, adding that Giatmara would send their full-time or part-time trainers to help out at AADK centres.
Apart from skills training, these trainees will also be presented with certificates to help them get work once they are discharged.
Meriyam said Giatmara had been able to move forward by making constant changes and would continue to do so.
Giatmara Bintulu branch manager Awang Abadi Awang Dilah, Sibu branch manager Ahmad Daud Pipet, Julau branch manager Rodihartoni Ali and Kuching branch chief clerk Azman Muhamadi were among those accompanying Meriyam in her four-day working visits.

March 7, 2010, Sunday