BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
EMPLOYMENT opportunities in the civil service are not created equal, some bonded scholarship recipients have found.
With different levels of higher education scholarships offered by government institutions, some scholars have observed that securing employment in the civil service adopts a hierarchical pattern as well.
The various scholarships available in the Sultanate include the prestigious Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Foundation Scholar, Brunei Administrative Service, DANA Scholarship, among those from the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Defence (MinDef).
According to postgraduate scholar Dk Naza Zerah Pg Razali, 25, despite the difference in the level of the scholarships and number of recipients in each type, ministries should not discriminate against qualified candidates based on the names of their scholarships.
A recipient of an MoE scholarship to study in the United Kingdom, Naza Rezah said, “As bonded students we should have employment in place as the cost of the scholarship itself is also expensive (as with the other scholarships).”
In a previous article, it was reported the investment on a single bonded scholar can reach an estimated cost of up to $500,000.
Data Bank System
To address the graduate and scholar unemployment issue, Naza Zerah, who read Human Resources, proposed a data bank system.
“It is a database to record all the details of the bonded scholars which can then be put into categories based on their courses, skills and qualifications,” Naza Zerah explained.
“For instance, if any ministry is looking to hire a Human Resources graduate, they can access the data of all students who studied Human Resources from the system, making the selection process more convenient.”
However, Naza Zerah said that creating the database bank system would not be an easy task as it would require each ministry to have access to the information and statistics from the scholarship division at the MoE.
Revamping the Civil Sevice Commission (SPA)
Currently, applications for a position in the civil service usually goes through the Civil Service Commission at www.spa.gov.bn.
To improve the application system, Naza Zerah suggested the introduction of separate application forms for bonded scholars and other graduates such as non-scholarship graduates and graduates from local institutions so they can be tested for a position separately.
However, another bonded scholar from the United Kingdom Izzati Nadiah Ahmadiah worried that it would exacerbate the hiring discrimination.
“It could be unfair (for other graduates) as it implies a preferential treatment towards bonded scholars,” the 22-year-old said. The Financial Mathematics scholar is currently looking for employment after graduating in July last year.
Yet Naza Zerah, who is currently working in the private sector, maintains that though she is sympathetic of the sentiment, the move could retain the scholarship investments in the civil service.
“It would be a pity (for the other graduates), but the government has in fact, spent thousands on these (scholarship) students. We should not sneer at the government if they choose to prioritise their ‘investments’ overseas,” she said.
“Plus the investment should have equal returns.”
In addition to this, Naza Zerah also recommended faster response to job applicants - in terms of acceptance and rejection.
“Applicants who do not make the shortlist or the next round of the hiring process could be informed sooner so they can move on and apply elsewhere,” she said.
Paid Attachment Scheme
Meanwhile, another bonded scholar under the MoE, Syarifah Abbas, 21, suggested a structured attachment scheme for graduates awaiting a permanent position.
“Currently (bonded) graduates who do not find employment within three months of returning to Brunei are eligible for an allowance from the Ministry of Education,” Syarifah told The Brunei Times yesterday.
“Rather than giving them this (allowance), I suggest month-long attachments to two or three different government departments, as most graduates do not get hired immediately after returning home.”
Syarifah said most graduates could remain unemployed for over six months to even a year and believed the attachments could fill that period. The International Relations graduate has applied to three positions in the civil service since her return to Brunei in August last year, but has yet to secure employment.
“The attachments could be planned while the graduates are in their final year, with confirmation upon reporting to the Brunei Students’ Unit (in the country where they are studying).”
Through the attachments, the graduates can build skills to prepare them for when they secure permanent employment.
“The scholars would be engaged in constructive work experience which would prepare them for the reality of working life,” she said.
She believes this experience will open their eyes to the opportunities of working in the government.
“In this manner, graduates can find their niche and kindle interest in areas which they were once uninterested in.”
This, she explained, can benefit both scholars and the government.
“This scheme would also discourage students from not returning after graduating,” she said.
The Brunei Times
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