KUCHING: A train-in-place programme to help retrenched workers during this economic slowdown is expected to materialise by March this year.

Mohd Zubir Mohd Basri

Sarawak director of Labour Department Mohd Zubir Mohd Basri said the Human Resource Ministry was in the midst of working out the details of the programme, and getting training providers to register with the ministry before going ahead.

“The train-in-place programme is just one of the efforts being taken by the HR Ministry to cushion the effects of the economic slowdown,” Zubir said yesterday.

He said job seekers would need to register with the ministry online or directly for the ministry to match them with companies for training. Eventually, when the economic situation improves, these job seekers could be absorbed as permanent staff.

Zubir said all this depends on the availability of vacant positions and also on the ex-perience and qualifications of the jobseekers.

Sarawakians who had been retrenched from foreign countries too could register with the ministry online, he added.

He said the government had come up with a stimulus package to address the problem of retrenchment aside from unemployed graduates and youth employment, and that this train-in-place was just one of the programmes under this package.

Zubir said at the state-level, the department was bracing for more retrenchments and had already formed a special taskforce committee to monitor cases of retrenchment in the state.

The committee consists of various parties like government agencies, employer’s association, chambers of commerce and workers’ union.

The committee held its first meeting on Dec 22 last year with a second meeting due end of this month.

The HR Department has set up 12 operation rooms including one in the headquarters where employees and employers could channel their enquiries to. The operation rooms were activated since Dec 15.

The contact number for the headquarters in Kuching is 082-242050, Kuching (082-242052), Serian (082-875842), Sri Aman (083-325114), Sarikei (084-652234), Sibu (082-330702), Kapit (084-799435), Bintulu (086-314812), Miri (085-438561), Marudi (085-755967), Limbang (085-215113) and Bakun (019-8595286).

Zubir said the department anticipates the manufacturing, service and wood-based industry to suffer the most during this economic slowdown.

He said in Sarawak, from October to December last year, 14 companies retrenched a total of 489 workers (149 locals and 340 foreigners) and last January, 15 companies retrenched 528 workers (167 locals and 361 foreigners).

He said retrenchment was inevitable and the HR Ministry was working on several possible programmes and methods to help employees and employers during this troubled times.

“Aside from matching jobseekers to available vacancies out there, we are also holding job fairs to assist both parties, and this will be an ongoing process,” he said.

The job fairs will take place throughout Sarawak and be in Kuching from March 20 to 21, Miri (April 25- 26), Sibu (May 16- 17) and Bintulu (June 27-28).