Tue, 15 February, 2022
My name is Nur Fadhilah Binti Shuhaile. I am from Kuala Lumpur and I have a Diploma in Civil Engineering from Politeknik Sultan Zainal Abidin College.
While I was in the process of applying for pursuing my studies to the degree level, one of my friends invited me to consider joining the program Teknikal Kompetensi Belia Asnaf sponsored by Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan. At first, I was not interested in welding but as I started doing research about welding, I found myself intrigued to learn more and I decided to give it a try and apply. Furthermore, it was an additional benefit that this programme guaranteed job placement at the end of the training period.
It is true that welding is a male-dominated industry. But I enjoy doing manual work as I do not find myself interested in having an office job. That’s why I think this programme was a perfect match for me since I could get a suitable job by undertaking training here at TWI. Needless to say that I gain an internationally recognised certificate that is well-regarded by the industry.
During my first days on the training, I learned the theories and got familiarized with the equipment. I remember the instructor called me to do a demonstration of how to cut the plate. I was scared at first because I did not have any experience but I was determined to challenge myself. So now after months of training, I am used to it. Over the course of the training, I learned about TIG and MIG welding processes. They are similar to SMAW process but maybe a bit lighter. I find the SMAW process quite difficult as I took a long time to finish one joint. Not everyone gets the opportunity to learn welding processes up to the highest levels and now I feel proud to say that after 4 months, I have learned so much that I did not even think of.
This programme is beneficial for anyone especially fresh graduates who do not have a job yet. I believe if you find out that there is sponsored programme available, even though it is not related to your field, you should grab the opportunity to learn and venture into a new field. As for me, I come from a civil engineering background and have jumped into welding, which is not exactly related to civil engineering. But I decided to join this programme as I thought instead of doing nothing at home and just working a part-time job, I better spend my time more effectively by learning something new and getting a certification that is well regarded all around the world. By the end of the training, I will also have CSWIP Visual Welding Inspector and Basic NDT certificates and the most interesting part is I could get to meet and know a lot of people and make new friends.
To women out there who are interested in venturing into the field of welding, I know that as a woman we might be afraid of the risks like fire hazard, etc. I can understand that because I have been in the same situation before. But, if you believe in yourself and think that you can do it, then you should just go for it and take the challenge. Give it a try even though the job is commonly for men. Who knows! Maybe women will one day dominate the welding field as well!
I now have secured a job at Kualiti Alam Hijau Sdn Bhd as a welder. Overall, I am satisfied with what I have learned here. The instructors here give instructions very well, are helpful and knowledgeable. I really appreciate this opportunity and strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to join this programme.
Lastly, I would like to thank our sponsors, MAIWP and TWI for running this programme so well and giving us the job placement which suits our qualifications and skills.
