BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

SEVEN vocational courses offfered by the Youth Development Centre (PBB) are now recognised by the City & Guilds, a global not-for-profit body that accredits vocational courses.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS) Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Seri Setia Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah announced this during a launching ceremony at the PBB main hall yesterday.

YB Pehin Dato Paduka Hj Hazair said that a City & Guilds certificate is a brilliant approach to produce more quality youth in line with the employees’ needs or the job market.

“PPB is aiming to develop and motivate the early school leavers to continue studying so that they will have an opportunity in the future,” he said.

The Minister saw the ceremony “as a new indirect development that will convince the trainees to find a job and motivate them to pursue their knowledge and improve their skills.”

Based on 2013 statistics, Brunei has 184,200 youths, or those aged between 15 to 40, he said.

“The youth need to enhance their potential or strength in order to become useful human capital who can contribute to the nation’s development,” YB Pehin Dato Paduka Hj Hazair said.

He noted that the PPB prepared for the accreditation by implementing courses that are closely related with the industries.

“This is one of the mechanisms that could generate a more skillful and competitive young generation while still internalising Calak Brunei (Bruneian values),” he added.

The ceremony saw YB Pehin Dato Paduka Hj Hazair handing over City & Guilds certificates to trainers who underwent training from the group.

According to PBB Acting Assistant Director, Haswandi Hj Osman, out of the 10 courses available at the PPB, seven courses are now recognised by the City & Guilds.

These are the skill proficiency certificates in Basic Plumbing, Basic Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, Fabrication, Welding & Pipework, Basic Office & Application System, Food Preparation, Food & Beverage Service and Level 2 Aided Drafting & Design Using AutoCAD.

The duration of each course will be shortened from nine to six months due to a City & Guilds’ requirement to have only 450 hours for theory and practice, he said.

“The PBB basically restructured the modules to comply with the City & Guilds requirement,” Haswandi said.

He said that since PPB’s establishment in 1996, the centre has been continously improving the educational level of the school.

“The improvements were not just to develop the academic standard but also to ease the difficulties of the graduates to get a job after they finish the course,” he said.

Speaking to The Brunei Times, Erma Kasniza Abdul Kadir, one of the supervisors of PPB, said that previously, PBB graduates just received ordinary certificates.

But with this latest development, students who will study any of the seven courses will be given a City & Guilds certificate, which can be used internationally.

“We received a lot of applications this year, which shows the increasing number of youth striving to get jobs in the industrial sector,” she said.

School leavers and the unemployed are still welcome to apply for the July 2015 session by submitting their application to PPB at Kg Tanah Jambu. For more inquiries, please call the hotline at 2393681.

The Brunei Times