600 jobs offered to Sabahans under 1Malaysia Scheme

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The open interview was conducted in a group of 20 applicants.

KOTA KINABALU: Around 1,000 university graduates, Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) school leavers, Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) and diploma holders turned up at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) here yesterday for an open interview session under the 1Malaysia Training Scheme (SL1M).

Some 600 management trainee and full-time positions were offered to Sabahans by 10 companies taking part in SL1M.

As early as 6.30am, the job seekers, who came from all over Sabah including Kota Kinabalu, Keningau, Sandakan, Tawau and Semporna, have been queuing up outside the main lecture hall in UMS as they waited patiently for their turn to be interviewed by potential employers.

SL1M is a programme whereby companies and industry players carry out their corporate social responsibility (CSR) by training and enhancing the employability of Malaysian graduates, especially those from rural areas and low income families.

More than 45,000 students nationwide have benefitted from SL1M since the scheme was launched in 2011.

SL1M head of secretariat Hajah Norashikin Datuk Hj Ismail said the companies offering management trainee and full-time positions included Aegis, KFC, Malaysia Airlines, Labuan Financial Services Authority (Labuan FSA), private school Sekolah Sri Cempaka and Sabah Institute of Art.

“Aegis is a multinational company that is worth USD35 billion. They are offering 100 job opportunities today, and they will be issuing offer letters and plane tickets (to successful applicants) straightaway.

“The companies taking part today are a mixture of big and small organizations, half of them are offering jobs in Kota Kinabalu,” she said in an interview.

Norashikin said SL1M actually had strict requirements on the qualification of applicants.

Malaysian graduates who are interested to join the SL1M programme must possess a minimum qualification of a Bachelor’s Degree and have been unemployed for at least six months after graduation.

Priority will be given to the underprivileged graduates from poor family background or rural areas or urban poor.

“However, some of the applicants have come all the way from Keningau, Sandakan, Tawau and Semporna with their friends and relatives, and the companies are kind enough to open their doors for applicants with SPM, STPM and diploma qualifications,” Norashikin said, adding that many of the applicants are UMS graduates.

The open interview session was carried out in groups of 20 by the 10 participating companies. Each applicant is allowed to go for all 10 interviews if they choose to do so.

“We hope that whoever that comes for the open interview today will get more than one job offer.”

In fact, she said the open interview session had no ending time to ensure everyone had the opportunity to be interviewed by potential employers.

“The open interview sessions often lasted till 8pm,” Norashikin said.

Norashikin added that SL1M encouraged the applicants to obtain a job in any way they could, either as management trainees and subsequently be absorbed into a company’s workforce if they performed well, or directly recruited as an employee.

For management trainees under SL1M, they receive a minimum of

RM1,000 monthly allowance from companies, Norashikin said, adding that most companies also provide lodging, transport and other benefits to trainees.

“As this is a CSR programme, everything (allowance and benefits) is  supported by the industry, and the government saves RM300 million through this programme,” she said.

Norashikin said the SL1M open interview held in Labuan last week, hosted by Labuan FSA and Labuan Corporation, had received a very good response.

“In Labuan, we have 800 job openings but only 600 applicants came because of floods.”

She said the open interview was the first in Labuan, while the session yesterday was the second done in Kota Kinabalu.

“If we have many more others who want an open interview in Kota Kinabalu, with such good response, we do not mind coming again.

“We will do anything for Sabahan youths,” she said.