The Manpower Industry Steering Committee Working Group for ICT Sector (MISC-WG ICT) recently conducted its first stakeholders engagement on ICT manpower and employment opportunities with the ICT and non-ICT businesses. The main aims of this engagement are to seek further understanding on the challenges for hiring local ICT professionals as well as to gather feedback and information on ICT manpower needs and future demand.
The events were held on October 13 and 15 for the non-ICT and ICT businesses respectively.
Acting Chief Executive of the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) Haji Jailani bin Haji Buntar and Chairman of InfoCom Federation Brunei (IFB) Sheikh Haji Abas bin Sheikh Mohamad as the co-leads of MISC-WG ICT delivered welcoming remarks.
Haji Jailani said that the MISC-WG ICT has been tasked to look into how to better align the supply and demand of ICT manpower in the country and overcome the skills gaps and mismatch, and further equip ICT graduates to be industry ready.
“In the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0), we have to ensure that the digital skills of our local workforce are also on par with the rest of the world,” he said.
Over 50 participants from the non-ICT sector and 90 representatives from ICT businesses attended the engagement. The attendees were briefed on the various manpower development initiatives by the Sekretariat Tetap of the Manpower Planning and Employment Council (MPEC) at the Prime Minister’s Office.
AITI, as the Secretariat of the MISC-WG ICT, also shared on the current manpower landscape of the ICT industry as well as the activities and expected deliverables of the working group.
The engagement concluded with a breakout session moderated by MISC-WG ICT member Dr Yong Tee Chuan. Attendees deliberated on issues pertaining to local hiring of ICT manpower, critical jobs in demand and suggestions to overcome these challenges.
The next engagement will be held with ICT jobseekers on October 19 at JobCentre Brunei. All local ICT jobseekers are welcome to attend. However, seats are limited and will be on a first-come-first-served basis. Interested parties will need to RSVP their names through https://miscict1910.eventbrite.com by 1pm today.