Graduates get job offers at Petronas bootcamp

KUCHING: A total of 43 job and internship offers were made to participants of the Petronas BeDigital Bootcamp (BDB) Sarawak this year.

The BDB programme was held in Sarawak for the second year, involving a total of 99 participants from seven universities with the support of 24 hiring partners.

Currently in its eighth cohort, the digital skills empowerment programme held at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus entailed a 12-day curated programme to enhance local undergraduates’ digital literacy for higher employability.

Petronas Senior Vice President of Project Delivery and Technology, Mohd Yusri Mohamed Yusof said not only is the bootcamp constantly updated to cater to global job demands, it also exposes students to jobs and technologies that could be game changers in the future.

“We have seen the advent of AI technology as well as an increasing demand for cyber security in the past few years. Through the BeDigital Bootcamp, we are equipping our local undergraduates with the right digital and entrepreneurial skills to explore these areas while charting their own career paths in a highly competitive market.

“By doing this, we hope that our campers will not only be successful professionally, but also become active contributors to the growth of Sarawak and the nation,” said Mohd Yusri at the closing of the BDB programme here on Friday evening.

The two best campers in the male and female category were among those who received job offers.

Audrey Stefanie Julip pose with her best camper award and job offers during the closing ceremony of BDB programme at Waterfront Hotel here.

Audrey Stefanie Julip, 24, the best female camper received two job offers due to her best performance and achievement during the bootcamp.

The graduate expressed genuine surprise, admitting that she had not anticipated such a positive outcome.

“I genuinely did not expect it. But during the interview, what I did was I just really tried my best to offer my potential,” she said.

As to which offer to accept, the Swinburne graduate gave a wait-and-see response.

“I have to look into it first. Both JX Nippon Oil and Gas Exploration and PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) have different offers, and I need to carefully consider my options. I’m grateful to both companies for their offers,” Stefanie added.

But she is prepared to relocate for her new job, as she sees it as a golden opportunity to broaden her horizons and gain invaluable experience.

“I’ve been in Kuching my entire life, so if I’m to go to KL, go outside of Kuching, or even go outside of Malaysia, it would be a really good chance for me to widen my experience, especially in the chemical engineering industry,” she said.

Caven Tang Than Yek pose with his best camper award.

Best male camper, Caven Tang Than Yek, 23, from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) who received an offer from Sarawak Energy Berhad said it was unexpected.

“But definitely something I’ve been hoping for throughout my four years in university,” he said.

On the bootcamp, Tang said: “The bootcamp, most importantly, is not about the destination, it’s about the journey. Spending time with my group, discussing, brainstorming, and learning from the Petronas staff and other partners was invaluable.”

Also present during the closing ceremony were Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Datuk Dr. Hazland Abang Hipni and Petronas Senior Vice President of Malaysia Petroleum Management Datuk Bacho Pilong.