Bakat women attend two-day skills training at Rascom Camp
SIBU: A total of 210 members of Armed Forces Wives Association ( Bakat) took part in the ‘ Mega Wisma Training Centre’ (WWTC) programme at Rascom Camp, Mile 10, Old Oya Road here yesterday.
Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing, Family and Childhood Development Datuk Fatimah Abdullah who officiated at the event, said the programme which was incepted two years ago was aimed to provide an opportunity for women outside Kuching to obtain training offered by Wisma Wanita.
She said State Family and Women Department (JWKS) had taken the initiative by organising the courses in the state and parliamentary areas based on the needs of the local women.
“As of Sept 29, a total of 11,714 people have received training and skills since the setup of WWTC on 2014.
“By providing skill courses, the women ( participants) could get benefit from the knowledge that they have obtained by generating incomes through small or online businesses.”
Three courses are being held for the two- day programme, namely basic make-up course, cake decoration course and ‘ Kursus anyaman tudung saji’.
The courses are conducted by the teaching staff of Rafflesia Wellness Sdn Bhd , Kemas and JWKS.
In line with the aspiration of the Chief Minister to develop digital economy as one of the State’s economic strategies, Fatimah said JWKS has taken the initiative by providing exposure for the participants and single mothers as a preparation towards digital economy.
She said two digital-based programmes have been implemented, namely women in digital entrepreneurship ( Wide) and basic ICT skill course for single mothers.
For the Wide course, she said the programme is a collaboration of JWKS with NAM Institute for the Empowerment of Women (NIEW) and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation Sdn Bhd ( MDEC), which involved 33 participants who have attended skill courses at WWTC.
On the basic ICT skill course for single mothers, she said the 4- day programme from Nov 20 at Paramount Hotel here was a continuous research conducted by the Swinburne University of Technology titled, ‘An investigation into barriers for single mothers re- entry into workforce in urban Sarawak’.
According to her, the research aimed at studying the factors which hindered the single mothers from returning to work.
Ninth Infantry Brigade Commander Brigadier- General Dato Dzulkafli Mustaffa and 1st Division Bakat chairperson Datin Jacqueline Peris were among those present.