'Time to change mindset about domestic workforce'

Fung Siew Mun
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

EMPLOYERS should overcome the stigma regarding the reliability of local workforce by giving it an opportunity to prove its worth.

Most of the employers and employment agencies interviewed by The Brunei Times yesterday have been very supportive of hiring the locals. However, they added a caveat that the domestic workforce which suffers from "bad image" has to work hard to uplift its image.

One employer, who wants to remain anonymous, supports hiring locals, despite having his share of some errant workers.

"Local employers have to change their mindset about the "bad image" about the local workforce. They have to come around, help the locals and give them an opportunity. Guide the locals," said the employer in a telephone interview.

Sharing his experience, he said he once employed about 100 locals but was only left with five within a couple weeks.

"If you are talking about bad experience, I had one of the worst. But today, I am still supporting because it is my duty as an employer to give them an opportunity to work," he said.

Locals need to be motivated. We have to encourge and support them. In the long run, they will stay with the local companies."

"And also, we save on rental, lodging, air ticket and transportation needed for foreign workers," he said. While the employer admitted that foreign workers are necessary as well, he said locals can work hand-in-hand with their foreigner counterparts.

"Let the locals work with the foreign workers and learn from them," he said.

He recommended that a minimum wage be introduced in order to help locals cope with the high cost of living.

In a bid to boost domestic job market, the Local Employment and Workforce Development Agency (APTK) had reduced the foreign quota of some companies.

The employer welcomed the move and said such an action will compel companies to hire local workforce. He said he was a supporter of the Ministry of Home Affairs training and employment (SLP) scheme which was implemented last year.

The SLP is aimed at providing locals with suitable job skill and experience, making them employable in the private sector as well as for employers to be less reliant on foreign workers.

In order to prevent locals from abusing the opportunities given to them, the employer said: "Job seekers should also be blacklisted if they waste opportunities given to them, not working well and stop working after a few days or week into employment."

"It is a win-win situation for employers, APTK and employees as employers also spend money and resources to train them."

According to Ursula Grom of Alliance employment agency, employers are generally in favour of hiring locals.

"If there is an opportunity to hire locals, they would pretty much do so. You do not need to provide housing facilities, food supplies and so on," said Grom.

However, the sourcing of locals poses a problem for the employment agency as concerted efforts to recruit them have not yielded desired results.

"We had advertised in print and online media, and were surprised to receive only few applications, of which most did not meet the stated requirements," she said.

On the move APTK had taken to penalised companies for not hiring locals, Grom lauded the move.

"I fully agree with the penalty on companies who are not making an effort to employ local staff plus Bruneians with the required qualification should be given a priority," she said.

"After all, the government provides the necessary infrastructure for companies to operate in a smooth manner."

"Only if the companies are able to provide proof of unsuccessfully trying to hire local staff with the help of APTK and proactive advertisement, then they should be allowed to hire from abroad," said Grom.


Another employment agency said the move by APTK was "good to reduce unemployment".

"Otherwise, employers would still use foreign workers where some positions can be replaced by locals," said the representative who wished anonymity.

As an agency that supplied only foreign workers currently, the representative said the agency plans to train more locals in the future.

On the other hand, a representative from a departmental store, who preferred anonymity, said it was not easy to source locals especially in his line of work which requires long hours.

"Less and less people are working with us due to the long hours. Most want to work with office hours. But it is not practical because night and weekends are usually the busiest time for us," he said.

As for locals who resigned without notice or did not turn up, the representative said the department store had no choice particularly as locals "can leave whenever they want."

However, he expressed his support for APTK initiative to provide opportunities for locals and shared that the departmental store took part in the SLP schemer.

Through the scheme, the departmental store source for their local staff and the representative said they will "accommodate with the government requirement as they also wished to find skilled local staff."

Dipetik dari - The Brunei Times