Jamiyah Halfway House (Darul Islah) held an ICDL Microsoft
Office Certificate Presentation Ceremony on Saturday, 27August.
This is for the two batches of residents from Jamiyah Halfway
House who graduated since the programme restarted this year. The
last batch of residents graduated in June 2019, before the pandemic
hit.
The course was conducted in the newly refurbished computer
classroom at the halfway house. The Classroom officially opened in
February 2022, and is part of the Computer Classroom Sponsorship
Project, an initiative between Darul Islah, Yellow Ribbon Fund
(YRF) and Acronis.
Acronis, through YRF, had sponsored $100,000 to the project -
$50,000 for the renovation and upgrading of the computer classroom,
including 15 new laptops. Another $50,000 are be used for IT
training courses in 2022.
YRF and Acronis have a shared vision of developing a computer
classroom that can support regular IT training for the residents of
Darul Islah. Both stakeholders saw the value in equipping the
residents with IT skills as it will open more opportunities for
them and allow them to secure better jobs.
The collaboration between Darul Islah, Acronis & Yellow Ribbon
Fund started in 2018 when they conducted the ICDL Microsoft Skills
Course for the residents. The residents were awarded Microsoft
Certified Certificates upon the completion of the course.
The first IT training in the new classroom was conducted for 1
week from 10 February to 17 February 2022. 15 residents
participated in the course with a 100% pass. All secured employment
after the course. 6 of the residents have completed the
rehabilitation programme, while 3 are still undergoing it. The
other 6 did not complete the rehabilitation programme at the
halfway house.
For the second batch conducted on 26 May to 3 June 2022, another
15 residents took part with a 100% pass. All of them are gainfully
employed and are still undergoing the rehabilitation programme.
All those who have completed the ICDL Microsoft Office Course
are working full-time with salaries ranging from $1,450 to $2,600.
Dr Isa Hassan, Chairman of Darul Islah said: "At
Jamiyah Halfway House, we equip offenders with relevant training to
enhance their employability in a digitalized world to prepare them
for successful reintegration and instill a culture of lifelong
learning in our residents and facilitate their skills deepening in
the community, even after release. Finding a job after recovery can
help individuals build healthier relationships, provide for their
families, and boost their self-esteem, which helps prevent relapse
and maintain their long-term recovery."
Mr R, a Forklift Driver, completed his rehabilitation programme
2 months ago, on 29 May 2022. He was from the 1st batch of the ICDL
Course held this year. After his release, he continued taking
courses, upgraded himself, and managed to obtain a forklift
license. The ICDL course helped him to improve his self-esteem and
be more confident. He said: "The course motivated me, and I
learnt to apply the skill at my workplace as a forklift driver
where I need to key in all the items into the computer. This
knowledge encourages me to keep upgrading my skills in computer
usage."
Mr F attended and completed the IT course in June 2019. He
currently works for Domino's Pizza and has received a good review
from his supervisor. He also received the Best Employee Award in
Feb 2020 from his employer. The course helped him in his job
advancement. He said: "The ICDL course has given me better
knowledge and skills for my work. I started as a part-time pizza
maker and was promoted to store supervisor and now assistant
restaurant manager. Of course, I feel happy and excited as this is
a lifetime experience."
Mr Rosezeli Omar, a Jamiyah Halfway House Alumni, actively
volunteers his time to support the aftercare programme for the
beneficiaries upon completing his programme.
The aftercare programme had helped him greatly, especially
through optimistic thinking and reasoning, engaging himself in
contributing back to society. His advice to the residents of the
Halfway House: "Set a goal in life on the things you want
to achieve. Create a positive mindset, and don't stop whenever you
are facing challenges in something you want to achieve. Always have
the 'Don't give up' motto in life as the struggles you are in today
are developing the strength you need for tomorrow."
The certificates were presented by Mr Vladimir Zatsepin, Acronis
Vice President, Head of Singapore R&D.
Mr Stas Protassov, Acronis Co-Founder & President of Technology
said: "Education, upskilling and lifelong learning are
part of our DNA at Acronis. Our core belief is that knowledge
should be available to all, and we are glad to resume the provision
of IT skills training to ex-offenders, since the disruption caused
by the pandemic. The YRF-Acronis IT Skills Programme, which has
been launched 4 years ago, is also aligned with the government's
push to upskill citizens. For a country like Singapore, every
citizen matters and we're confident that given the opportunity to
obtain new knowledge and skills, ex-offenders can contribute and
reintegrate back into society."
About Acronis:
Acronis is a leader in AI-native cyber protection, unifying data protection, cybersecurity, IT operations and hybrid infrastructure to deliver business continuity, security and compliance with less cost and complexity. More than 21,000 service providers trust Acronis to protect over 750,000 businesses in 150 countries. Acronis is headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. For more information, visit www.acronis.com.