Short-term courses mulled to increase number of local barbers

KUALA LUMPUR: Short-term skills courses are being considered to increase the number of barbers in Malaysia, the Dewan Rakyat was told.

Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar said the courses would be modular, adding that the move was aimed to tackle the shortage of traditional Indian barbers in Malaysia.

“When we organised long-term courses, youths were not interested. The ministry is now proposing to have these short-term courses, that may last for a month, for youths to learn the basics.

“The courses can be done in a modular manner, where youths can further their education in this field to the diploma level.

“Efforts are being taken to ensure Malaysia is not too reliant on foreign workers,” he said during his winding-up speech on the 12th Malaysia Plan mid-term review on Tuesday (Sept 19).

The minister was responding to a question by Datuk Seri Ismail Abd Muttalib (PN-Maran) on the government’s decision to partially lift the ban on the hiring of foreign workers for the barbershop sector.

“We have trained our citizens in this sector but the government decided to allow foreign workers in.

“What is the government doing to allow those with qualifications in this sector to have job opportunities in their field?” he asked.

Sivakumar added that some 7,973 youths were successfully trained to be hairdressers from March 2012 to August this year, obtaining National Skills Certificates.

“This is very low considering that the industry needs many more workers in this sector,” he said.

On Sept 4, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said part of the applications for the recruitment of foreign workers involving barbershops, textiles and goldsmiths had been approved.

However, he added that the condition was that local youths be trained to fill vacancies in the three sub-sectors.

On Sept 8, Sivakumar announced that approval would be given for a quota of 7,500 workers.

In March, The Star highlighted the issue of the three sub-sectors not being allowed to hire foreigners, while existing permits of their foreign workers would not be renewed as of March 15.

The three sub-sectors have not been allowed to recruit new foreign workers since 2009.