Felda, AirAsia in pact to train youths as pilots

[Sri Ramani K. 0]

PUTRAJAYA: Felda youths will take to the skies under an agreement with AirAsia to train them to become pilots.

Felda will sponsor each youth at a cost of RM180,000 for one-and-a-half years of training, and the airline has agreed to provide guaranteed employment to those who make the cut.

 

The first batch of five youths have been identified as possible trainees and will be interviewed for admission into the next session of AirAsia’s pilot training programme, to begin next year, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced yesterday.

 

He said the candidates were all Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) holders and would be required to pass several tests to ensure they met the requirements.

 

"We will increase the number of candidates in future batches.

"The investment to train each person is high but they will stand a chance of becoming pilots and will have guaranteed employment by AirAsia if they graduate successfully," Najib told a press conference after launching Felda’s Golden Jubilee celebrations at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre here.

 

Another 75 will be trained under Syarikat Penerbangan Awam to become aircraft maintenance engineers, at a cost of RM125,000 each.

 

Both training programmes come under Felda’s allocation to provide skills training to settlers, especially unemployed youths who are still living in the land schemes.

 

An allocation of RM25 million was spent on skills training in 2004. The amount has been doubled to RM50 million since 2005.

 

To date, 8,660 people have completed their training in various industries and hold qualifications at the certificate and diploma level.

 

"Felda youths must not be satisfied with passing their SPM and limit their ambitions to running small shops by the roadside, or becoming mechanics and remain within their settlements. They should have bigger dreams," Najib said in his speech when opening the event.

 

"Our programmes for Felda youths will be aimed at building professional skills. The first generation of settlers opened up land, the subsequent generations should open their minds."

 

Najib also announced other goodies for the 317 settlements nationwide:

 

• RM1.68 million a month to be distributed in the settlements to improve and beautify their surroundings and public amenities. The idea is to turn settlements into "garden communities";

 

• A RM10,000 grant for each settler home that is old and in poor condition. Najib said there were 3,662 houses in this condition and the total cost to renovate them would be RM36.6 million;

 

• A maximum loan of RM40,000 for settlers who want to enlarge their houses. The loan is interest- free for 15 years and there have been 5,907 applications; and

 

• New street lighting in 50 settlements costing RM10.5 million, to be completed by the end of this year.

 

Najib said Felda was still considering this year’s bonus payout and duit raya allocation.

[Ellist 0]

i wish i m a felda's youth too

[Fitri Shukri 0]

i wish i m a felda's youth too

 

Yeah, I wish I'm from Felda too. All you need to do is study hard, get good results, and the rest... they will sponsor you fully, either scholarship to university (local and international), pilot training, chef training, ... and the list goes on! Do you know Felda already have a sponsorship programs for its youth to undergo aircraft repair and maintenance training, if I'm not wrong, with MIAT.

I mean, Felda will pay its youth to study! This not to mention the free tuition for UPSR, PMR and SPM students all across the Felda settlements.

 

Too bad that too many Felda youth are skipping schools, high on drugs deep in the middle of the palm oil plantations, becoming 'kampung mat rempits', karaoukaueing from morning to midnight and other negative and bad habits.

 

I just came back form doing a exam preparation strategy and motivation for a Felda school in Pahang. I always remind the students of how lucky they are to have all sorts of opportunity that others will die-for. However, the teachers there complain that many students, in the morning, appears to wear school uniform and 'go to school', but they didn't arrive at school. They end up somewhere in the vast plantations doing all sorts of negative stuff!

[Rozhan 0]

I got to know many secondary school students from Mempaga in Bentong and Lembah Klau in Raub. Most of them are good guys and keen learners. They are very welcoming whenever visitors come over their place.

 

A former colleague told me that some parents can be very protective whenever their children play truant. If a teacher canes a student for smoking or skipping school, sometimes the father would come and confront the teacher and may bring along a parang! They say they need their children to help in the plantation as an excuse for their skipping school. Therefore the teacher has no right to cane!

 

In the end, some will drop out from school and become Mat Rempits, drug addicts etc. You name it, they have it all in a typical Felda scheme!

Edited July 9, 2007 by Rozhan

[Azreen 0]

I do wander if a scheme like this might just do the trick in getting them to realise why going to school and getting good results might get them somewhere? But the reality is not everyone is into aviation!! Bring the Airasia stewardesses to the Felda estates, then they all might want to join Airasia!!

[shakir 0]

 

yeah...it was a golden opprtunity for felda youth.i wish to be one of them..hehe

frankly, till now i didnt get sponsorship for my training course although i passed with flying colors in my exam.

so sad...huhu. i had tried to apply for TAME at MAS, but the recruitment is not opened for public.Anak-anak staff MAS je dapat apply...

[Rozhan 0]

Anak-anak staff MAS je dapat apply...

 

Really? I think that's favouritsm and discriminatory. Is the airline having mini dynasties within its structure?!

[Mohd Yohan 0]

my hometown is in Muadzam Shah where there are Felda's nearby like Keratong... so in short, i'm also staying near Felda area

[Samsyuri 0]

Do you know Felda already have a sponsorship programs for its youth to undergo aircraft repair and maintenance training, if I'm not wrong, with MIAT.

 

Nope.. It is not MIAT.. It is METC stands for Malaysia Airlines Engineering Training Centre.

 

yeah...it was a golden opprtunity for felda youth.i wish to be one of them..hehe

frankly, till now i didnt get sponsorship for my training course although i passed with flying colors in my exam.

so sad...huhu. i had tried to apply for TAME at MAS, but the recruitment is not opened for public.Anak-anak staff MAS je dapat apply...

Don't worry.. There will be another opportunity for you in future.. Just don't give up..

[Fitri Shukri 0]

my hometown is in Muadzam Shah where there are Felda's nearby like Keratong... so in short, i'm also staying near Felda area

No, even if you were to stay in the Felda village, you cannot be entitles to the sponsorship, unless your parents participate in the 'peneroka' scheme or they are working as staff of Felda. To be a 'peneroka', you have to share your estate income with Felda.

[H Azmal 0]

, but the recruitment is not opened for public.Anak-anak staff MAS je dapat apply...

 

MAS - Mesti Ada Saudara

KTM - Kabel Takde? Maaf!

 

Edited July 17, 2007 by H Azmal