The Petronas-run Kimanis Petroleum Training Centre (KTC) as since its inception produced 194 graduates, marking a significant milestone in its mission to empower local youths with technical skills.
This number includes the 20 trainees from the 2019 intake who graduated on 21 September 2023.
Established in 2011, KTC is currently managed by Institut Teknologi Petroleum Petronas (INSTEP) under Petronas Technical Training Sdn Bhd (PTTSB).
PTTSB Chief Executive Officer, Idris Ibrahim said KTC has gone a long way since its inception as part of Petronas' social impact programme in Sabah to support the state's human capital development.
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"KTC is committed to preparing Sabahan talents with essential skills and qualifications to contribute towards enriching the state and the country's energy workforce," he said at the KTC convocation ceremony.
He lauded KTC graduates' employability, saying those who graduated previously achieved nearly 100 per cent employment in the oil and gas (08/G) and other industries.
Nurul Syafiqah (second right) receiving the Best Graduate Award from Farahena.
At KTC's 21 September graduation ceremony, Petronas Senior Vice President of Group Human Resource Management, Farehana Hanapiah, presented the graduation files to the trainees accompanied by Idris and Petronas Head of Human Capital Investment, Group Human Resource Management, Syed M Muhafiz Syed M Bakar.
Best Graduate Award recipient Nurul Syafiqah Najamuddin said she found no major problem for a woman to work in the 081G field.
"Some of the equipment may be heavy, but that is not a major challenge for me." She also hoped that KTC would consider offering more slots for women to enrol in the training programme.
Nurul said she was initially offered a diploma in civil engineering at a public higher learning institution in Peninsula Malaysia, but a few days later, she received a notification on her approved application from KTC.
"And I chose KTC, firstly because the training is provided for free, and trainees are also provided with allowances.
"If I chose the other institution, the first factor that I needed to consider was the cost of the flight tickets...and the second one would be the distance," she said.
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She said her father passed away in 2018, and if she opted for the university in the Peninsula, she would have to depend on her stepmother and older brother to support her financially.
"My stepmother is a trader at Tawau market."
On her next step, the youngest of two siblings will continue her training for 18 months at INSTEP in Terengganu.
Once completed, she would be equipped with the necessary skills and qualification and ready to join the oil and gas industry workforce.
KTC is the first institution in Sabah to be recognised as an Accredited Centre by the Department of Skills Development under the Ministry of Human Resources.
It offers a three-year full-time diploma-level training in Industrial Instrumentation and Control Systems - Monitoring and Control (Level 4), Malaysian Skills Diploma (DKM).
The graduates from KTC were also identified as one of the potential feeders for Instep's Technical Energy Enrichment Programme (TEP).
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Over the years, Petronas has continuously contributed to human capital development and enriching the nation's energy workforce through the establishment of learning institutions, including Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Malaysian Maritime Academy (Alam) and Instep.
Also present at the ceremony were representatives from the State Education Department, State Public Works Ministry, as well as State Science, Technology, and Innovation Ministry, and from Sabah Skills Development Department.