Overwhelming response to JPKE scholarship schemes

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, January 27, 2012

SCHOLARSHIPS on offer by the Department of Economic Planning and Development (JPKE) have received "overwhelming responses" from applicants since their introduction to the public last year, Acting Director General of JPKE said.

The department currently opened up two new scholarship schemes: Technical & Vocation Education Scholarship (BPTV) in Local Private Institutions, and Human Capacity Building Scheme in the Private Sector (PSTS), following His Majesty's titah on his 65th birthday.

In an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday, Dr Hjh May Fa'ezah Hj Ahmad Ariffin (pic) said the department has received "a lot" of applications for the scholarships, which were meant to build human resources in the private sector in Brunei.

According to her, the first batch of BPTV has over 900 successful applicants, and have begun their studies in private institutions in Brunei. The applications of the second batch were closed just recently, on December 31 last year, she said.

Applications for the first batch of the PSTS, which was also closed on December 31, are currently undergoing eligibility screenings by the relevant committee of the scholarship scheme. Like the BPTV, the PSTS also received great responses from the public.

"At the moment, JPKE is assessing each of the applications, and then they will be presented to the committee to be approved," she said. The committee, she added, comprised of members from different departments and ministries.

Dr Hjh May Fa'ezah said that the scholarship schemes aimed to provide assistance to the public to increase their knowledge and upgrade their capacity to boost the human resource in Brunei. The objective is to build human capacity in the private sector without any biased preferences for the government sector, she said.

"Unlike previously, there was a perception that only those working in the government sector are able to further their studies, but now the message is strong and clear, the government of His Majesty is really keen...to develop the capacity of our human resource (regardless of which sector)."

Both scholarships were introduced under the Human Resource Development Fund under JPKE, which is currently at $250 million for the National Development Plan 2007-2012.

"It is our hope for those who are given the scholarship (to) appreciate it. As you know, money doesn't grow on trees," she said.

Despite the PSTS being "bond-free", scholars must return to the country work in the private sector, she said.

"Our hope is for people to come back to Brunei and work in the private sector again. He or she is an employee, so hopefully when he or she comes back, they become the tauke (boss)." Low Leng May

-The Brunei Times

Skim Biasiswa Pendidikan Teknikal dan Vokasional (BPTV) di institusi pengajian swasta dalam negeri di bawah dana sumber manusia

SKIM BIASISWA PENDIDIKAN  TEKNIKAL DAN VOKASIONAL (BPTV)  DI INSTITUSI PENGAJIAN SWASTA DALAM NEGERI
DIBAWAH DANA SUMBER MANUSIA

  

   1. OBJEKTIF

1.1.  Memberi peluang kepada anak-anak Brunei yang terdiri dari lepasan sekolah di peringkat ‘O’ dan ‘A’ level untuk meneruskan pengajian mereka ke peringkat yang lebih tinggi bagi menyahut Wawasan Brunei 2035;        1.2.  Memberikan bantuan kewangan bagi penuntut yang berkelayakan akan tetapi tidak berupaya untuk melanjutkan pengajian di institusi-institusi swasta disebabkan tiada berkemampuan untuk membiayai yuran pengajian; 1.3.  Membantu dalam mengurangkan jumlah pencari kerja tempatan yang mempunyai kelulusan rendah serta dapat mengurangkan jumlah pengangguran di Negara ini; dan 1.4.  Membantu pihak swasta dalam memperkembangkan institusi pendidikan di sektor swasta yang mana akan menyumbang kepada pertumbuhan ekonomi Negara secara menyeluruh.

   2. SASARAN KUMPULAN

Penuntut-penuntut yang tamat sekolah di peringkat ‘O’ dan ‘A’ level yang memenuhi syarat kemasukan bagi mengikuti kursus-kursus yang berkenaan sahaja.

   3. PERINGKAT PENDIDIKAN

3.1 Dibukakan kepada semua jenis kursus yang dianugerahkan dan/atau diiktiraf oleh Majlis Kebangsaan Pengiktirafan Kelulusan (MKPK) dan/atau Brunei Darussalam Technical and Vocational Education Council (BDTVEC) iaitu dari peringkat: Ø     Higher National Diploma (HND) atau sebandingnya; Ø     Higher National Certificate  (HNC) atau sebandingnya; Ø     National Diploma (ND) atau sebandingnya; dan Ø     Pre National Diploma (PND) atau sebandingnya. 3.2. Tempoh Pengajian tertakluk kepada peringkat pengajian kursus yang dipelajari secara sepenuh masa dan di dalam negeri.

   4. KEMUDAHAN

4.1.  Pihak Kerajaan akan membiayai kos pengajian sepenuhnya bagi kursus-kursus yang dianugerahkan oleh BDTVEC dan badan antarabangsa dan juga menyediakan elaun perjalanan sebanyak BND 45 sebulan bagiRakyat Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Dan Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam. 4.2.  Pihak Kerajaan tidak akan membayar kos pengajian sepenuhnya bagiPenduduk Tetap Negara Brunei Darussalam. Penuntut hanya dikehendaki membayar yuran pendaftaran/kemasukkan dan kos pengajian mengikut peringkat seperti berikut dan pihak Kerajaan akan membiayai selebihnya.

Peringkat Pendidikan	Kadar Sebulan	Kadar Semester
HND atau sebandingnya	BND 300	BND 1,800
HNC atau sebandingnya	BND 250	BND 1,500
ND atau sebandingnya	BND 200	BND 1,200
PND atau sebandingnya	BND 200	BND 1,200

Download BPTV application form

Download BPTV Guide Book for students

His Majesty awards scholarships to 1,104

A student getting her scholarship agreement from an officer from JPKE. Picture: BT/Hana Roslan

HANA ROSLAN
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, September 11, 2011

HIS Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam through the Department of Economic Planning and Development (JPKE) under the Prime Minister's Office yesterday awarded scholarships to 1,104 recipients to continue their education at local private institutions as part of the September 2011 intake.

The scholarship, known as the "Technical & Vocation Education Scholarship (BPTV) in Local Private Institutions" scheme was introduced under the Human Resource Development Fund under JPKE.

This new scheme will provide school leavers with 'O' and 'A' level qualifications , particularly eligible students who were not given an opportunity to study in government technical and vocational institutions.

About 392 students have been awarded a High National Diploma (HND) or equivalent, 49 awarded with a Higher National Certificate (HNC) and 242 have been awarded National Diploma (ND) or equivalent.

Finally, the level with the most entries is the Pre-National Diploma (PND) or equivalent with 421 students.

"Our research has shown that a large amount of people who obtained three 'O' levels and below are applying for PND courses. That's a big group of the unemployed who have no qualifications at all and you can see this group in the unemployment list," said the Acting Director Human Resource Development Lim Hong Huat in an interview.

They have nowhere to go, he continued, and could not compete for places in institutions such as SultanSaiful Rijal Technical College (MTSSR).

"This is an opportunity for them to do their PND and this course only requires four 'O' Level passes," he said.

Five local institutions namely Cosmopolitan College of Commerce and Technology (CCCT), KemudaInstitute, Kolej International Graduate Studies (IGS), Laksamana College of Business and MicronetInternational College (MIC) have been chosen by JPKE to house the new intakes.

Lim said that majority of the courses offered in the institutions were limited to mainly business and computing, but JPKE has held talks with most private institutions in the country to diversify their courses.

"We keep telling Brunei institutions to not just look at the Brunei market but the international market as well. So this(scheme) will kickstart their revenue to invest and attract people outside because Brunei is a really good place to study," said Lim.

Currently, the steering committee for the scheme which consists of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Development, Brunei Economic Development Board and JPKE are "sitting down" on the type of courses JPKE wants for national development.

"We at JPKE are looking after the national economic planning so we know what type of skills we require. The committee for this issue will, in a month or two, decide on what type of courses for the next intake," he said.

At the moment, JPKE can only approve five institutions because many of the other private schools do not meet the department's criteria.

"Our criteria is that all schools must offer a level from PND up to an HND equivalent. Most of the schools offer short courses but we want a full-time course because we don't want these 'O' level or 'A' level students loitering about," he said, adding that the schools also need to be registered with MoE.

However, JPKE is not limiting only five schools and the acting director said that they were looking out for more schools that can meet their criteria.

Additionally, he also said that they were looking into inviting overseas institutions from Australia and the United Kingdom as possible school choices for the scholarship scheme.

"We are going to have a meeting with the British and Australian High Commissioner so we will see what can happen by looking at the possibility of joining us. We will leave it up to them," he said.

Asked about the budget for the current scholarship scheme, Lim said he does not know the exact figure but stated he "does not know the number, but a lot of money is being allocated into it".

However, he estimated that in the next National Development Plan (RKN), $100 million or more might be allocated for this scheme depending on the capacity.

This would be the very first intake of students to be under this new scheme, and the next would be in March 2012, which will be for a very small group.

"The next big intake will be in September next year and this will be an ongoing project. We have been instructed to implement this project, so this is a pilot and if it is successful, then the MoE can continue giving out this scholarship scheme instead," he said.

The event took place at the Fire and Rescue Department multi-purpose hall, where students received their scholarship offers from JPKE. 

-The Brunei Times