By New Brunei Daily
Rafidah Hamit
The era of relying on the government for jobs should not exist anymore as the economy of a country can also be spurred by its people who are currently working in the private sector in areas of business, agriculture and foreign direct investment.
Minister of Education, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi Haji Osman, who delivered a speech during the 11th Convocation of the Cosmopolitan College of Commerce and Technology, said it all comes down to the mindset in determining individuals who have the potential to play a significant role in aiding the country in achieving its goals.
“The contribution of graduates who opt to work outside of the government sector will increase the nation’s prosperity more significantly,” he believed.
He congratulated the 376 Cosmopolitan graduates, though he also cautioned, amid the current unstable economic condition, that “it is a challenge for graduates to find employment”.
And to those who have found employment overseas, he said, “This proves that the educational policies implemented so far have succeeded in producing graduates of high calibre.”
Cosmospolitan College executive chairman, Dr Hj Abdul Aziz Hj Abdul Latip, meanwhile, believed that albeit small, the college “is a very ambitious institution (that is) determined and committed to (providing a more) holistic education”, by placing equal emphasis on education, skill development and sports, as well as extra-curricular and Malay Muslim Monarchy (MIB) activities.
He said, “We continuously remind our team of lecturers, trainers and facilitators to provide academic knowledge topped with all the important skills in a novel and creative way to ensure students see the benefits (of these skills) in the job market.”
Since its inception in 2004, the college has produced more than 2,170 graduates.
Dr Hj Abdul Aziz noted that Cosmopolitan College is seeing an increase in the number of applications from more mature individuals with no basic qualification but a strong desire to further their studies.
One mature individual was Norimah Hj Mohd Judin, a corporate manager at SME 360 of Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD), who graduated with a higher national diploma in business management.
“I had been wanting to further my studies for a while but it was difficult, as you can’t simply apply for an HND course without a diploma,” she said. “CCCT was the only college that would take into account my working experience.”
Throughout her three years as a part-time student at Cosmopolitan, one of the challenges she faced was time management.
“It was tough, as I had to balance family, work and studying,” she said. “It was quite stressful but I managed to complete it.”
Similarly, Mohammad Arif Aliudin, who graduated with an HND in business management, said, “The college gave me the opportunity to fulfil my dreams of furthering my studies. Was it easy? No. But it was worth it.”
Like Norimah, the 28-year-old had to juggle between family, work and studies.
“A lot of people are scared to work and study at the same time,” he noted. “It’s not easy but we all motivated each other to keep going, and shared notes with those who couldn’t make it to class.”
Having pulled through, he believed the experience itself would give his career a boost.
“Taking the course helped me a lot in terms of time management, which is important for work, and writing skills,” he said.
Bhuvaneswari Venkatesan, meanwhile, said graduating with an NCC International Diploma in Business is a personal achievement.
“My family and I moved to Brunei from India in 2013. Looking at various institutions in the country, I felt that CCCT best suited me as I wanted to help my father with his business some day,” said the graduate, who also received the Best Student Award.
She added, “The college has definitely provided me with significant information on the business world. It has shaped my character; before this, I was very shy. But taking part in various activities has helped to develop my communication and people skills.”
She also attributed her success in obtaining the diploma to having attentive peers throughout the two years of the programme.
