NEWS: MDeC to tackle retrenchments

KUALA LUMPUR: The Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) is ­helping retrenched workers to get employment in the over 2,000 MSC Malaysia-status ­companies through its re-skilling programmes.

TRAINING PROGRAMME: According to MDeC, callcentres are an example of an ICT sector that re-skilled workers can find a job in.

MDeC, which is the guardian for MSC Malaysia, said it is co-operating with the Human Resources Ministry in this effort.

A total of 33,451 workers lost their jobs last year, according to the Labour Department. From last October to January 20, 13,040 people had been retrenched, according to The Labour Department’s department director-general Datuk Ismail Abdul Rahim (The Star, Jan 21).

MDeC chief executive officer Datuk Badlisham Ghazali said that MSC Malaysia will be a key referral centre in terms of looking for ­placement of the retrenched ­workers in ICT-based companies.

“We will assist the retrenched workers by encouraging them to take part in the existing MSC Malaysia programmes, which has been enhanced to accommodate them,” said Badlisham.

There are currently four re-skilling programmes that were ­originally targeted at unemployed graduates — the Graduate Trainee Programme, Undergraduate Skills Programme, Undergraduate Apprenticeship Development Programme and Job Camp.

These programmes, which began three years ago are specifically tailored towards different ­competencies.

“Based on the database provided by the ministry, we will match the skills of the retrenched workers to the sectors which have these ­shortages,” he said.

Badlisham said the Shared Services and Outsourcing (SSO) industry, the Creative Multimedia Content and callcentres are ­examples of ICT sectors that the re-skilled workers can find jobs in.

“There are job opportunities within the MSC. It’s not true that you have to have an ICT background to work within the MSC as it needs people do to sales, human resource, finance and others,” he said.

Muhammad Imran Kunalan, general manager of the K-Workers Development Department said MSC Malaysia will have its first training programme in mid February.

About 50 unemployed and retrenched people (mostly from the manufacturing sector) will undergo training at the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank (HSBC) Electronic Data Processing centre in Cyberjaya.

“After the training, HSBC Electronic Data Processing is expected to absorb most of them,” Muhammad Imran said.

He added that MSC Malaysia is looking to re-skill people not just for basic callcentre duties but for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) activities, such as finance and human resources.

“There’s a common ­misconception that BPO is just about callcentre staff. For instance, a bank needs people to research a prospective client’s credit history when he applies for a loan. That requires some financial experience, and not just answering phones,” he said.