Virtual Industrial Training

 Assalamualaikum w.b.t, 

Few years back when I was still in PD, I was very much involved in taking interns and supporting my alma mater, School of Chem Engine UiTM in supervising Design Project students. When I went to NG, everything stopped because of the distance. After I came back things with the university has been very quiet, and somehow this year, my former lecturer contacted me on this virtual industrial training. 

The thing is with pandemic and all, not many companies are taking interns or student trainee, and even worse when most company are encouraged to work from home, how can the student get any placement at all? My company is currently going for re-org, so there's no way anybody will get any placement at all. But for the students, life has to go on, they need to complete it, in order to graduate. Hence the faculty comes up with the virtual industrial training option. 

I jumped at the opportunity as I feel some kind of void without all these extra curricular activity to keep me occupied, I mean work will never end but there must be something more. Consulted my boss, asked for his permission as I will be using my time on this. Definitely my work will be top priority and what I agreed with him, I will supervise and share my experience based on my own capacity. No specific assignments that will need them to get confidential information from the company. 

I think that part is clear, they are committed to me, not the company, there is no confidentiality agreement signed anyway, so I can't give anything to them that is company specific. Which is still fine, as there a lot of resources online that they can refer to. My job is to provide guidance and share what industry look like and how all these knowledge are being applied in a real operating condition. 

Its week 3 now, the MO is I structured a program and used their current FDP to develop more scopes that is relevant to the industry. Kira macam extended research on their part, because as per the course requirement, its not part of their deliverables. Sounds pretty simple at first, taaapiiiii...... I need to prepare what I want to expose them to, before I can give any assignment, and the challenging part is we only booked 1 hour for me to brief them, so time is limited. Week 1 was fine, sebab intro ja, so it went well. Week 2 was a bit more challenging as I was sharing a concept that they've heard off but only on surfaced level. The whole session was 1.5 hours, kering tekak weh..hahaha.. In terms of preparing the slide and content, it was not bad, because the subject is my forte so materials are abundance. I gave them an assignment that I think its quite hard and I was expecting some of them (all 3 of them) to at least contact me for further consultation, but as of now macam senyap jaaa.. kalau depan mata boleh tanya and check on them. I don't want to be spoonfeeding them, so yeah just have to wait and see. I don't think I would turn into a nag though. Dulu zaman darah muda I did loose my calm, tapi it was a rare occasion.. hahaha. 

Am preparing week 3 material now, which is not my forte but I've had some experience it it, definitely not my comfort zone, so its a challenging task for me. I've been enjoying the journey so far, preparing the materials and engaging the students, also the interaction with my former lecturer. I think I can try going into the academic line, but I just need to buck up, focus, p belajaq balik, ambik Master and PhD, then I'm all good. We'll see how. For now, I think I'm not done working yet, and I still have lots of bills to pay..haha. 

Nak belajaq balik pun cost money and at this age, no way I can get any sponsorship..hahaha. 

Okla, till next time. Wassalam.