Energy Dept at PMO launches job fair at Bridex Hall in Jerudong

Bandar Seri Begawan - The Energy Department at the Prime Minister's Office (EDPMO) yesterday launched the Oil and Gas Service Sector Job Fair 2012, the second of its kind since the success of its inception 10 months ago in December 2011, in collaboration with higher technical institutions, major oil and gas operators, and their vendors at the Bridex Hall in Jerudong.

With this year's theme being 'Potential Careers in the Oil and Gas Industry', the objectives are to encourage, promote, and secure employment and development of local workforce via career ladders, development plans, and apprenticeship programmes in order to achieve Wawasan 2035 goals.

The Energy Department, through the Oil & Gas Service Sector Job Fair 2011, had set a target of recruiting at least 1,000 local employees for the year 2012. The current actual numbers recruited now stand at 1,302. With this in mind, the Energy Department has increased the target to 1,600 locals to be employed for the year 2013.

Targeted jobseekers include experienced as well as local graduates who have recently finished their academic tertiary education, be it at the levels of diploma, degree or higher, in Brunei Darussalam or overseas.

Over 80 exhibitors are participating in this year's Oil & Gas Service Job Fair - amongst them are government agencies, major oil and gas operators and their vendors who are providing services to the industry, the e-Government National Centre, local universities, technical educational institutions and other government departments such as the Economic Planning and Development Department and the Fire and Rescue Department.

Activities to be held at the job fair include career exhibitions on potential careers, career talks, activities on curriculum vitae writing and job interview tips, walk-in interviews and videos regarding careers in the oil and gas industry.

The Oil and Gas Service Sector Job Fair was officially launched by the guest of honour, Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin Haji Umar, the Minister of Energy at the Prime Minister's Office.

During his speech, the minister said, "We (the ministry) want them to show and prove that the industry has the ability to provide jobs for the locals, and our locals if given the right chance can rise up to the challenge of filling up these jobs.

"We also want to show that creating 50,000 jobs in the oil and gas industry, out of which 40,000 jobs are for local professionals and employees by 2035 as envisaged in the draft Energy White Paper is not only a possibility but also achievable. I am first to acknowledge that the task is not easy - there are so many gates that must be unlocked including attitudes of both the potential employers and the employees, managing and upgrading capabilities and capacities and so on.

"Most of these also involve sensitive issues, yet if we are to please everyone we will not get very far. Reality is we need to create more jobs for our locals, and do it fast. We cannot have an environment where our locals feel that they are being by-passed for jobs, even in the non-skills and semi-skills." he added.

He said the nation cannot have contracts signed in the oil and gas industry - some involving tens and even hundreds of millions, with little return to the nation in terms of local contents such as jobs and training opportunities.

Senior government officials from the Energy Department and other ministries and departments, as well as the participants of the Oil and Gas Service Sector Job Fair attended the opening ceremony.