'Unique' students, a solitary parent participate in baking course
In a significant move to promote economic independence, the Sabah Cheshire Home, Asian Tourism International College, and Sabah Skills Technology Center have joined forces to offer a 14-month vocational training program in pastry skills. The program, which includes a 2-month industrial training, aims to equip disadvantaged individuals, including persons with disabilities and single parents, with practical skills in the food and hospitality sectors.
The initiative, part of an economic empowerment program, kicked off with 14 students, including Idrus Naurimun, a member of Sabah Cheshire Home, and Chin Wan Yee, a student with Down's syndrome. Idrus, a disabled student, found the opportunity offered by the collaboration to be a chance to improve his skills and potentially open his own bakery. Chin, on the other hand, expressed enthusiasm about the course, hoping to bake cakes for her parents upon completion.
The course registration took place at the Sabah Cheshire Home in Likas, where Francis Xavier, another student, rides his special bike daily to attend the production area. Francis is excited about the course and ready to attend every day, as he sees it as a stepping stone towards his dream of entrepreneurship.
In addition to pastry skills, the students will also be trained in computer skills and basic English communication, enhancing their employability prospects. The JPK Pastry Skills course, offered at levels 1 and 2, aims to equip students to work as assistant pastry cooks and pastry cooks in hotel and resort pastry sections.
This collaborative effort aligns with broader state efforts to invest in human capital among women, single mothers, and lower-income groups to generate sustainable economic benefits in Sabah. By integrating the resources of these three organizations, the program addresses the specific needs of disadvantaged groups, empowering them with skills that improve their job prospects and contribute to their economic independence.
[1] Sabah State Government's Investment in Human Capital for Sustainable Economic Growth. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.sabah.gov.my/index.php/en/news/sabah-state-government-s-investment-in-human-capital-for-sustainable-economic-growth
- The collaboration between Sabah Cheshire Home, Asian Tourism International College, and Sabah Skills Technology Center has expanded the students' lifestyle and personal growth, as they are now learning cooking, computer skills, and basic English communication, all of which are essential in their food-and-drink career and general education-and-self-development.
- As part of the vocational training program, Idrus Naurimun, a student with disabilities, foresees himself opening a bakery and enhancing his home-and-garden by potentially starting his own home-based bakery.
- By integrating resources from various sectors such as food-and-drink, home-and-garden, education-and-self-development, and personal-growth, this program equips disadvantaged individuals with the practical skills necessary to foster economic independence, thereby contributing to the state's overall economic development and sustainable benefits for the citizens of Sabah.