| Hakim Hayat |
EIGHT interns yesterday graduated from the Brunei Solutions Development Centre (BSDC) Capability and Mentoring Programme (CAMP), certifying them as Microsoft Certified Solutions Developers (MCSD), which is a highly prestigious and industry recognised certification.
Six of them have also established their own IT companies and have had the opportunity to participate and secure projects with various agencies including the Ministry of Development and the Department of Economic Planning and Development.
Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar, Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday attended the graduation ceremony as the guest of honour at the Design and Technology Building in Kampong Anggerek Desa.
Incepted in 2013, BSDC is a brainchild of the Brunei Darussalam Government and Microsoft, nurturing a new generation of local Information and Communications Technology (ICT) entrepreneurs and businesses. A total of 11 interns have graduated the CAMP programme since the beginning of the initiative.
The ceremony marked the beginning of new BSDC alumni of young and inspirational techpreneurs. Since 2013, BSDC has been training a future workforce to grow an IT ecosystem in Brunei and help graduates create their own business by building the confidence, capability, and capacity necessary for the economic drivers that will secure Brunei’s future. Its formula of success lies in combining academic training with practical working experience gained through the expertise of Microsoft consultants and involvement in real life projects.
Muhammad Norshafiee bin Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Jalil, Deputy Permanent Secretary (IT, E-Government and Industry) at the Prime Minister’s Office, in his speech said these interns are a role model for other graduates who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs, in line with the government’s focus on economic diversification and promoting entrepreneurship, and it also demonstrates that the BSDC is a proven working model for ICT industry development in Brunei Darussalam.
He also shared that moving forward plans are in place for closer collaboration and synergy with the newly formed DARe (or Darussalam Enterprise) in order to support the CAMP programme and produce successful and sustainable entrepreneurs.
The CAMP offers an accelerated training programme for interns to become Microsoft Certified Solutions Developers within a year instead of the standard two years, allowing them to move into entrepreneurial roles with greater speed. Throughout their time in the programme, the interns have strong support and easy access to resources such as mentorship, funding and customers.
Prior to the establishment of the BSDC there were no Bruneian Microsoft Certified Solutions Developers. All of these certifications were obtained through the BSDC CAMP programme.
Mohammad Izdihar bin Sulaiman from Ideas Technologies said the programme has given him a gateway to vast opportunities for learning valuable skill sets and practical hands-on project experience. “CAMP has made it much easier for entrepreneurs like myself to set up our own businesses, grow it, and in turn create employment for Bruneians. Not only is promoting the entrepreneurial spirit key to innovation, new businesses and small companies like ours are a fundamental and necessary pillar of our economic engine,” he said.
“We are delighted that our partnership with the Government of Brunei Darussalam is providing a successful platform for enterprising youth to set up their own companies and take the ICT industry to the next level in Brunei and across Asia. Microsoft is helping the young entrepreneurs of today turn dreams into reality. We hope these success stories will be a source of inspiration for subsequent BSDC graduates,” said Fredrik Nylander, Senior Director, APAC, Microsoft.
The BSDC was set up in 2013 as a software development facility to propel growth in the ICT industry, and enhance the capability of Brunei’s ICT industry in producing application development solutions.
The centre offers opportunities for local partners to work with Microsoft through hands-on and practical work immersion and procedures. Besides being managed by Microsoft, the centre works hand-in-hand with the e-Government National Centre (eGNC), iCentre to implement Brunei Government’s e-Government program and in developing the ICT industry as a key economic driver in line with the Vision 2035.
Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
