Conversational English skill for job-seekers Most participants to find job after three-month course
KOTA KINABALU: Greater focus will be given to improving the level of proficiency of English among job-seekers in Sabah to increase their chances of employment, said Resource Development and Information Technology Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai. He said that the Human Resource Development Department JPSM has so far been successful with its first Daily Conversational English course and plans are in the pipeline to extend the course beyond Kota Kinabalu. “I have just spoken with JPSM director Puan Rosalind Chew and she told me that it is very likely that most, if not all of the participants (of the course) will get a job at lBorneo,” He said after officially closing the course at his office’s auditorium here, yesterday. Yee said that after Kota Kinabalu, where some 124 school-leavers and job-seekers attended the three-month course, the department plans to expand into other districts such as Sandakan and Tawau and the interior areas. He stressed that it is particularly important to extend training on the use of English to youths from poor families in rural areas, where there is limited access to such training. Taking the example of a job interview at the Human Resource Development Department (JPSM) a few years back for for position at a private hospital here, Yee said the only hindrance these youths is their lack of confidence in conversing in English.I spoke with them and found that they were all intelligent and capable individuals, but from there I could also determine who would have a better chance at getting the job. “The only thing stopping them was that they were not comfortable speaking in English and I am sure there were a lot of applicants that day that were left heart-broken because they did not get the job ... what we want to do here is give them a bit of help so they can get the job (they aim for),” he said. Meanwhile, the Daily Conversational English course is a joint-effort between JPSM and AMC College. Also present at the closing ceremony were Resource Development and Information Technology Ministry permanent secretary Datuk Abidin Madingkir, JPSM director Rosalind Chew and AMC College chief executive officer Paul Voo.
KOTA KINABALU: Greater focus will be given to improving the level of proficiency of English among job-seekers in Sabah to increase their chances of employment, said Resource Development and Information Technology Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai. He said that the Human Resource Development Department JPSM has so far been successful with its first Daily Conversational English course and plans are in the pipeline to extend the course beyond Kota Kinabalu. “I have just spoken with JPSM director Puan Rosalind Chew and she told me that it is very likely that most, if not all of the participants (of the course) will get a job at lBorneo,” He said after officially closing the course at his office’s auditorium here, yesterday. Yee said that after Kota Kinabalu, where some 124 school-leavers and job-seekers attended the three-month course, the department plans to expand into other districts such as Sandakan and Tawau and the interior areas. He stressed that it is particularly important to extend training on the use of English to youths from poor families in rural areas, where there is limited access to such training. Taking the example of a job interview at the Human Resource Development Department (JPSM) a few years back for for position at a private hospital here, Yee said the only hindrance these youths is their lack of confidence in conversing in English.I spoke with them and found that they were all intelligent and capable individuals, but from there I could also determine who would have a better chance at getting the job. “The only thing stopping them was that they were not comfortable speaking in English and I am sure there were a lot of applicants that day that were left heart-broken because they did not get the job ... what we want to do here is give them a bit of help so they can get the job (they aim for),” he said. Meanwhile, the Daily Conversational English course is a joint-effort between JPSM and AMC College. Also present at the closing ceremony were Resource Development and Information Technology Ministry permanent secretary Datuk Abidin Madingkir, JPSM director Rosalind Chew and AMC College chief executive officer Paul Voo.
