KUCHING: More than 100 trainee technicians of Sarawak Petchem are bound for work at its first mega-methanol plant in Bintulu.
The second batch of its trainees completed their Technician Training Programme (TTP) at Institut Teknologi Petroleum Petronas (INSTEP) in Kuala Terengganu recently.
The one-year training programme at INSTEP was a comprehensive pre-employment programme designed by Petronas to produce job-ready technicians with the essential technical competencies and generative culture mindset required by the petrochemical industry.
The two-semester programme exposed them to four key trades in a petrochemical plant namely Operation, Mechanical, Electrical and Instrumentation.
Sarawak Petchem in a statement said, during the first semester, the trainees went through theoretical learning via hybrid mode (Physical and Virtual Instructor-Led Training or VILT) covering a wide range of modules such as Production, Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, HSE and others.
The second semester provided them with six months of blended training which include theoretical learning, hands-on learning at practical workshops, and experiential learning at UDTP.
To further enhance their readiness and capability in operating Sarawak’s first methanol plant, they will further undergo the On Job Training (OJT) at selected Petronas plants in Bintulu and Labuan for another three months.
Its chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar (Dr) Hj Abdul Aziz commended the technicians on finishing the programme on time despite the hurdles and repercussions of the Covid-19 epidemic.
He also applauded INSTEP for their efforts in making the programme a huge success.
He noted that the strategic partnership between INSTEP and Sarawak Petchem is a strong illustration of smart partnership in developing and providing young talents with the essential skills and capability to be fit as a competent workforce in delivering the landmark Sarawak Methanol Project by 2024.
In August 2021, Sarawak Petchem sponsored a total of 116 trainees to undergo the TTP training at INSTEP and the first batch of trainees will be completing their OJT very soon.
They will be part of the team to be involved in the pre-commissioning, commissioning and start-up of the methanol plant next year.
