100 PENJANA PARTICIPANTS FROM PU AND UUM STML OFFERED JOBS

UUM ONLINE: A total of 100 participants from various public universities (UA) and the Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) School of Technology Management and Logistics (STML) successfully completed intensive training under the UUM STML-PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd Fund Programme and were successfully offered jobs with the company.

UUM Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dato’ Dr. Ahmad Bashawir Abdul Ghani said, out of 700 entries received, only 100 were selected to participate in the programme organised during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Of the 100 trainees who went through the training, 90 were offered positions at PKT Logistics Batu Kawan in Penang, while the remaining ten were offered jobs in Shah Alam," he added.

According to Prof. Dato' Dr. Ahmad Bashawir, the strategic collaboration demonstrated that the synergy between the university and industry partners was capable of supplying employment that met the needs of the current market, as aspired by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), which is University for Society (U4S) in tandem with the Malaysian Education Development Plan (MEDP) (Higher Education) 2015-2025.

Meanwhile, when contacted, Dr. Herman Shah Anuar, Project Manager of UUM STML-PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd Fund Programme, stated that all 100 trainees chosen from the PU had gone through training and testing before being offered jobs with salaries ranging from MYR2,500 to MYR4,000 by the company.

He said, the National Economic Recovery Plan Fund (Dana PENJANA) amounting to MYR510,000 had been allocated for the implementation of the 'Young Professional Trucker UUM 2020' programme, a government initiative to boost the post-Covid-19 economic sector among students from various programmes thus producing professional truck drivers in the country.

“PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd serves as an industry partner and training provider to this programme before appointing those who pass to be offered employment with the company using funds from the PENJANA MoHE programme-'Career Advancement Programme' (MoHE-CAP) which was launched by the Right Honourable Prime Minister at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM),” he added.

Dr. Herman also stated that the 30-day training programme with 12 training modules held at The Ship Batu Kawan in Penang successfully trained 100 graduates from throughout Malaysia who wanted to become professional truck drivers.

Despite the Movement Control Order (MCO), 50 of the 100 trainees who participated in the programme were UUM graduates.