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| Participants at the incentive-laden Work Training Scheme held yesterday. Under the "Skim Latihan dan Pekerjaan" (SLP) or Work Training Scheme, incentives are offered to participants at each level of their training. Picture: BT/Izam Said |
Read an interesting news today in Brunei Times on the above subject. The government had introduced a so-called Skim Latihan dan Perkerjaan (SLP) or Work training Scheme. Brunei Times taunted it as an incentive-laden training scheme to help jobseekers secure employment in the private sector.
This reminds me a story about dog and bone.
Imagine we have 10 dogs and we bury 9 bones in a open field. We send out the dogs to find the bones. At least one dog will come back without a bone.
We decide the problem is lack of training and proper incentives. We put that dog through rigorous training in the latest bone finding techniques. After such intensive training, we continue to bury 9 bones and send the 10 dogs out again. The trained dog end up with a bone, but some other dog comes back without a bone (empty-mouthed, so to speak).
The problem, of course, is that there are not enough bones and jobs to go around. It is certainly true that well-trained and highly motivated jobseeker can easily find a job. But that is no evidence that aggregate unemployment is caused by laziness or lack of training. Even there are jobs available, many does not provide a person with a meaningful income. I know this as I had experience it myself.
In any case, I applaud such initiative taken by our government. But I also believes that we can better the initiatives. I would suggest that the government initiate a job guarantee (JG) program. Further information on this JG can be found on my previous posting. I would also suggest that the government extend the Elaun Sara Hidup and Elaun Kurnia Khas to all rather than currently being given to public servants only.
I sincerely believes that JG and the extension of such allowances shall provide the populace with a meaningful income. With the right income, our people can properly "live" and contribute back to the economy of which ensure further prosperity to our country, Brunei Darussalam.
Again as a monetarily sovereign nation, our government can provide such incentives without busting her coffers.
p/s: The dog and bone is just an example and it certainly does not equate our people as dog.
