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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
- August 14: Brunei, gearing up to host the APEC summit in November, is
training some 2,000 job-seekers to help cater to the needs of the
Asia-Pacific region's political and business elite.
But the goal is not just
to ensure that the annual APEC forum goes smoothly: Brunei's leaders
hope to turn that training and experience into long-term employment
opportunities as the country opens up to both foreign business
investment and tourism.
Officials here stress the
need not only to provide training in sectors earmarked for expansion,
but also to upgrade the skills of as much as one-quarter of the active
workforce in the next five years. All agree that a broad-based drive to
provide Information Technology training will be crucial to Brunei's
future. Part of that effort encompasses the initiation of all students,
starting in elementary school, in computer literacy.
Shift in mind-set
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah,
head of both State and Government, called in an address to the nation
recently for nothing less than a "change in mind-set" for his
tradition-loving people, saying Bruneians must "continue to move
forward and equip ourselves to face the challenges of global
competition."
Education Minister Abdul
Aziz Umar has stressed the importance of building up the potential
inherent in Brunei's human resources, including putting more emphasis on
vocational and technical education.
With nearly 6,000 people
looking for work, the country's unemployment rate of six percent would
be the envy of many Western countries. But Mr. Aziz termed the figure
"alarming," especially when compared to jobless rates of 2.8
percent in Singapore and three percent in neighboring Malaysia.
Wahab Juned,
director-general of the Brunei Darussalam Economic Council (BDEC), also
acknowledged a "need for continuous upskilling," but insisted:
"We are not particularly worried about this. We know the people.
They are retrainable people."
Tourism training
The hospitality and
tourism training scheme offered to job-seekers ahead of APEC 2000 - a
joint project under BDEC and the Labour Department -- is expected to
jump-start the broader program. Jenny Arkle, business development
manager at the Canberra Institute of Technology, which won the training
contract, said participants would initially be offered "very
focused training for specific skills," with the opportunity later
for more in-depth learning and the possibility of pursuing studies
abroad.
"We are taking
advantage of the coming APEC 2000 to make a start on the hospitality and
tourism sector, said Mr. Wahab. Tourism has been targeted as an area of
growth potential for Brunei, a little-known destination despite its
unspoiled forests and beaches and safe environment.
The Sultan Saiful Rijal
Technical College already offers National Diplomas (the equivalent of
British A-levels) in hotel and catering management and in travel and
tourism services, combining both classroom lessons and on-the-job
training.
The 142 students in
hospitality and tourism "have excellent job prospects" when
they finish their studies, said college Vice-Chancellor Dennis Ho,
adding that most would also be working in the sector during APEC.
IT graduates in demand
Another 48 students
studying for a National Diploma in information technology at the college
are also "in great demand," said Noorzainab Ladi, assistant
head of the computer department. "Employment is virtually
guaranteed."
The Diploma students will
work either as computer technicians on completion of their studies or go
on to further education, usually abroad, she said. Meanwhile, all 1,000
students at the college are expected to get a grounding in computer
systems.
Brunei's efforts are also
focusing on 2001 and Visit Brunei Year, said Cynthia Bong, manager of
the downtown Brunei Hotel, "We are trying during APEC to prove
ourselves and do a good job. Promoting Brunei during APEC will bring in
more tourists."
Background
As the current chair of
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, Brunei is hosting
the annual summit of leaders from 21 member economies in November. Up to
6,000 delegates and 2,000 journalists are expected to attend the summit
and related meetings, placing unprecedented demands on Brunei's services
industry.
Brunei, one of the 12
founding members of APEC in 1989, aims to demonstrate that the group is
"delivering to the community" by achieving tangible results in
the area of economic and technical cooperation, notably education and
training along with new technologies and small and medium-sized
enterprises.
By strengthening its
foundations, creating new opportunities and making it more relevant,
Brunei also hopes to show that APEC is crucial for regional economic
recovery while meeting the challenges of globalization and ensuring that
small countries are not left behind the in the rush to embrace the New
Economy. |