School dropouts graduated from My Skills Foundation

KUALA LUMPUR: Sixty-five Indian school dropouts and Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) underachievers proved society wrong yesterday when they graduated in training courses in various skills organised by MySkills Foundation.

The “transformed” boys and girls who were considered “a lost cause” by their parents and teachers graduated from three different skills training courses – electrical, mechatronic and legal secretary courses.

“I had difficulty in communicating with people. However, thanks to this legal secretary course I was given a chance to improve myself. I feel more confident and wish to do something with my life now,” said 19 year old Karthini Nadaraja ,who is currently working in a legal firm and aims to apply for a Diploma for Legal Secretaries.

The graduation ceremony was officiated by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop who also presented the graduation scrolls to the students along with RM1 million to MySkills Foundation to further assist the underprivileged and school dropouts.

“The government has allocated RM14 million to assist 11 non-governmental organisations to provide similar services as MySkills Foundation to assist poor Indian students in the country,” said Nor Yakcop at a press conference held after the graduation ceremony.

“There are nearly 7,000 school dropouts every year and this can only be solved by giving these youths opportunities in terms of skilled jobs to prevent them from straying into wrong paths.”

Primus Institute of Technology formed under the MySkills Foundation aims at providing a “second chance opportunity” to youths to ensure they were integrated into the mainstream society.