My Industrial Training Experience - Noor Shafira Noor Rashid, Universiti Putra Malaysia

Cik Noor Shafira Noor Rashid (standing, centre) with some of the staff from Antara's HR & Admin Department.

"Industrial training is part of the course requirements in order for students to complete their first degree and subsequently receive their scroll on convocation day. Institutions of higher learning today place great emphasise for the students to not only equip themselves with good academic results, but also have hands-on experience in their course of choice to enhance their potential to prospective employers.

I am grateful that Antara Steel Mills Sdn Bhd in Pasir Gudang opens its doors and welcomes students to fulfill their course requirements. For three months, I had the invaluable experience under the guidance of Human Resource and Administration Manager, Mr Tan Boon Min who with his utmost patience and sincerity, imparted and shared his knowledge and experience, besides motivating and inspiring me.

My short stint at Antara was an eye-opener into the ‘real’ working life which is a vast difference from my student life. The staff at the HR department are all very helpful and ever willing to share their knowledge on office administration and maintenance, canteen management, industrial relations and many others. I was also exposed to the in-house training unit and learned the aspects of conducting training, from its initial planning to implementing and evaluating a programme.

The best part was the opportunity to see the steel operations. From the scrap bay, I was taken on a plant tour to the Rolling Mills where I was given an overview on the steelmaking process and the technology and systems used. Having been in a steel plant has given me a different perspective on factories’ operations altogether.

I now realise that a manager’s job is not confined to preparing reports and overseeing the operations and departments to ensure that the organisation’s vision and mission are adhered to and the production targets are met. The employer is also responsible to provide a safe and healthy environment for its employees. A caring employer also plans the career path for its employees through training and motivation programmes, and organises events for the employees to participating. It is true when people say ‘A happy employee is a productive employee’.

I still have a lot to learn, yet the three-month stint at Antara was unique and special to me. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the management of Antara for accepting me to do my practical training and giving me this wonderful experience; and to all staff for the cooperation and assistance rendered to me. Last but not least, my heartiest thanks to Mr Tan Boon Min and all HR and Admin Department staff for their guidance and assistance. I believe that my experience at Antara will be beneficial to developing my future career."