BrazilBrunei apprentices selected for Deloitte placements in Southeast Asia
Brunei’s i-Ready employment-development initiative is bearing fruit with seven apprentice graduates selected for international placements with Deloitte in Southeast Asia.
A joint initiative developed by the government of Brunei’s Manpower Policy and Planning Unit (MPPU) and Energy and Industry Department (EID), the i-Ready Apprenticeship programme aims to increase the employability of unemployed local graduates with exposure to various industries through a three-year coaching placement with participating host organisations.
The measure was initiated by the MPPU and EID in response to a review of local employment vacancies which revealed that at least 50 percent required a minimum of three years working experience – and, with, as of last year, nearly 2,500 of the roughly 13,000 registered job-seekers holding a degree or above, seeks to address the high surplus of graduates against industry needs.
Head of the MPPU, Hjh Zainab Omar said, “What is key is that the graduates experience a real, authentic working environment where they can grow and contribute. This will improve their marketability and employability so that during or after the programme they will find suitable employment. And for the hosts, it is an opportunity to contribute to reducing unemployment in Brunei and also part of their corporate social responsibility in manpower capability development.”
With a programme target of 1,562 graduate placements, and a monthly stipend of BND800 for selected participants during the three-year period, the initiative has already proven popular – attracting nearly 600 applicants for the positions with prestigious Big Four firm Deloitte. And after a rigorous selection process, including pre-screening and a panel interview with members of Deloitte and the MPPU, seven aspiring young Brunei graduates have now been chosen to begin their career with the firm in Southeast Asia.
“We support the Brunei Government’s initiatives to enhance the employability of new Brunei graduates and help them be future-ready by strengthening their knowledge in the areas of consulting,” Deloitte's Consulting Leader for Brunei, Lee Chew Chiat, said. “Hiring Bruneian graduates will help groom the next generation of talent to bring Brunei forward into the future… and we look forward to continue our support that will include holding more recruitment drives, and work closely with the MPPU to identify opportunities for more Bruneians to be part of our Deloitte Southeast Asia consulting team.”
With twenty-five office locations across operations in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos, the new Deloitte Southeast Asia apprentices will have the opportunity to gain experience in a variety of business landscapes, while receiving coaching and mentorship from the firm’s some 8,000 professionals in the region. As part of the programme, Deloitte will hold the right to offer the apprentices full-time employment at any stage of the programme.
