YDC faces course capacity problem

COURSE capacity at the Youth Development Centre (YDC) continues to be an issue as the 2012/2013 intake for the Youth Development Programme begins.

"This year, there had been 250 applicants, with most going to the Computing and Office Administration Course," said Hjh Norlah Yaakob, Acting Director of Youth and Sports Development. Unfortunately, she said, each course could only take up to 50 trainees.

She said that the computing and office administration course had 92 applicants as their first choice. Those who were rejected were offered second and third choices of courses.

Hjh Norlah said that the ministry had taken note of the issue, and hope that in the future, they would be able to increase the courses capacity.

This year, 191 new trainees out of the 250 have been accepted into the centre, said Hjh Norlah in her address to parents and students of the programme attending the registration and briefing session yesterday.

Some 50 trainees have gone to the computer and office management course, 31 into cooking and catering, 29 for cake and pastries, 8 into sewing and embroidery, 15 for auto-repair, 11 for welding and fabrication, 15 for domestic water piping and 15 more for air-condition repair.

The courses comprise three different programmes, namely the skills training programme, the self-development programme and the work placement programme.

Through the skills training programme, the students will be taught skills from the courses they were allocated to, whilst the self-development programme will teach the students academic subjects such as accounting, English and mathematics, as well as management courses such as self-discipline and time management.

Islamic religious activities are also incorporated into the programme.

After completing the programmes, the trainees will spend another six months on the work placement programme, which aims to give the students a hands-on experience in their chosen field.

Hjh Norlah reminded the trainees that after their first session from February until October this year, they will be doing work placement in their respective field from November 2012 into April 2013. "It is the objective of the centre to give opportunities to youths, who could not continue formal education and do not have employment, to give them training so they can become a successful person and can enter the field of work and businesses," she said.

She urged the trainees that they should make full use of the opportunity given.

According to Hjh Norlah, since its establishment in 1996, the Youth Development Centre has produced some 1,500 graduates, with 71 per cent contributing in some way towards National Development. The Brunei Times