SANDAKAN: Around 4,000 people here grabbed the chance to visit the Mini Job Expo at the Community Hall here with the hope of securing the jobs they desire.
The one-day expo started at 8am to 5pm which was the first job expo organized by the Ministry of Resource Development and Information Technology.
According to Elopura assemblyman, Au Kam Wah, the expo was timely as it provided the people in Sandakan with more exposure to current job opportunities and vacancies available here.
The mini job expo aims to spread information on training and career opportunities to the youth, job seekers, students, parents and the public in general, and at the same time to highlight the role of the ministry in the development of human capital in the State.
The main activities of the Mini Job Expo were career fairs and Job Placement Program (3P) under the Labor Department of Sabah, which involved 31 organizations of private companies, businesses, and training institutions.
One of the lucky job seekers, Hasmah Alimuddin, 22, told the Borneo Post that she got a job offer on the same day of the mini job expo.
Hasmah who graduated with a Diploma in Nursing from Masterskill University College of Health Science Kota Kinabalu, was offered a career in nursing at in IOI Group (palm oil Company), right after attending a job interview during the expo.
According to Hasmah, her convocation ceremony would be in December this year and she hoped to get a job before that.
“I was looking for something temporary and I applied for a clerical position in IOI Group, as there was no opening of nursing-related jobs.
However, after they saw my nursing certificate, they quickly gave me an employment letter to serve as a nurse in their company, she explained.
Hasmah said she was very grateful that she found a job in Sandakan through the job expo in Sandakan. She felt that it was a great help to get exposed to job opportunities available in the job market.
Meanwhile, Hasmah’s friend, Noor Diana Jafri also tried her luck to look for a job at the expo.
“It is really hard to find a job on our own, but a job expo like this is like a golden ticket for us to be successful in life with a good career,” Noor said.
Noor graduated with a Certificate in Pastry from Sabah Skills and Technology Centre in Kota Kinabalu and had submitted a few application forms to several hotels and companies during the job expo.
“I heard about this event from my friends that it would be held in Sandakan to provide a centre for fresh graduates here to look for jobs,” she added.
The expo with the theme “Human Capital and ICT Boost Transformation’ also aims to promote the Internet site for job seekers www.joblink.sabah.gov.my.
Also present during the expo were Sandakan Municipal Council (MPS) Deputy President Mohd Hamsan Awang Supain and the ministry’s permanent secretary Bruno Vun.