Students taking a group photo at one of the booths during the Discover PETRONAS @ Schools (DPS) programme.
PRIOR to this, Form Four student Amber Tay only thought of petrol stations at the mention of PETRONAS.
After attending the Discover PETRONAS @ Schools (DPS) programme, the student at SMK Seg Hwa in Segamat, Johor, now has a better understanding of the opportunities available to students like her in the global energy company.
DPS is an interactive and experiential learning programme that engages with secondary school students – enabling them to realise their academic pursuits and career path, especially in the energy industry.
This initiative illustrates PETRONAS’ commitment to investing and enriching its pool of talents whilst generating positive social impact to local communities.
Amber said the career sharing session of the programme left her feeling inspired after the company’s executive technical planner Yasmin Azalya Mohd Zaharudin spoke about her own journey.
“I was truly inspired by Yasmin’s journey of studying geology in university and then applying it in her job in PETRONAS.
“I used to associate the energy industry with being male dominated. Through her story, I learnt of the diverse career and development opportunities available with numerous areas for talents to succeed and thrive,” she said when interviewed.
The programme also left a lasting impression on Form Three student M. Rushdan Hakimi, who aspires to be an engineer one day.
“I especially liked what one of the engineers said about being open to different opportunities in life.
“I hope to be eligible for the science, technology, engineering and mathematics stream in my school when I enter Form Four next year.
“I plan to apply for the PETRONAS Education Sponsorship Programme (PESP) and to pursue mechanical engineering in my tertiary studies in the future,” said the Sekolah Tinggi Segamat student.
Rushdan, who is the president and vice-president of his school’s English Club and Red Crescent Society respectively, believes that his active participation in extracurricular activities fulfills the scholarship requirements as well.
They were among the 500 students from 13 schools in the Segamat area who participated in the DPS event held at the Tunku Abdul Rahman University College.
The participants also took the opportunity to learn about the careers available at PETRONAS via the exhibition booths and engaged in fun activities during the one-day programme.
Teachers stopping by a booth during the Discover PETRONAS @ Schools (DPS) programme to learn about the career opportunities available at PETRONAS.
Meanwhile, SMK Dato Bentara Dalam’s teacher Sinatu Suzana Shapie was grateful that PETRONAS decided to bring DPS to areas out of the cities.
“Being far away from big cities like Johor Baru and Kuala Lumpur, students in Segamat are less exposed to the various opportunities out there.
“Before the programme, most of my students did not know about the job opportunities available in PETRONAS, which vary from engineering to law to marketing.
“The whole session was helpful not only for the students, but teachers like me as well, because we can then share the information back to our schools.
“A few of my students immediately popped into my mind and I will definitely be sharing the useful information and encourage them to apply for the scholarship,” said Sinatu Suzana, who is also part of the Program Duta Guru under Yayasan PETRONAS.
Forty-five teachers and representatives from the Johor state education department and Segamat, Muar and Batu Pahat district education offices also attended the event.
Following the country’s reopening after the Covid-19 pandemic, six initial stops were scheduled in the DPS series – starting in Kuala Nerus (Terengganu), followed by Mukah and Samarahan (Sarawak), the series ended in Segamat with an investment of about RM1.5mil.
Stops in Tawau and Sandakan, along with further expansion to other areas in Malaysia, are scheduled to resume next year.
A student participating in one of the fun and educational activities part of the Discover PETRONAS @ Schools (DPS) programme.
The DPS in Mukah saw the participation of students and teachers from SMK Toh Puan
Datuk Patinggi Hajjah Normah, SMK Matu and SMK Batang Igan, all located about 100km away from the programme venue. Attendees from these schools were provided transportation and accommodation to enable them to participate in the programme.
During the event, volunteers and staff also managed to organise a small donation drive and coordinated a surprise KFC meal for all students.
The gesture was well-received by the students who were ecstatic and even cheered as the meal boxes were brought into the hall.
To date, DPS has benefitted more than 27,000 secondary school students from over 650 schools across the country.
