BACHOK: The government will cover half the cost of study for public servants pursuing Master's and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) through the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for Qualification (Apel.Q) programme.
Public Service Department (PSD) director-general Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz (pic) said the programme was among the new and enhanced initiatives in the public service aimed at providing public servants with opportunities to improve their academic qualifications based on their work experience.
He said since work experience would be taken into account as one of the elements in completing their studies through Apel.Q, those who have been in service for many years would have an opportunity to pursue higher education.
"The government will cover half of the cost. This is a new initiative in the public service that has been approved by the government specifically for public servants in service to further their education.
"Apel.Q is among the facilities provided by the government, alongside the Federal Training Award (HLP) and various other forms of sponsorship, to encourage public servants to enhance their knowledge, skills and competencies," he said in a press conference after the Adjunct Professor Inaugural Lecture at Dewan Tuanku Canselor Universiti Malaysia Kelantan here on Thursday (Oct 8).
Wan Ahmad Dahlan said PSD offers various sponsorships and funding schemes to help public servants in the country enhance their academic qualifications, competencies and professionalism in the public service.
He said lifelong learning is an important foundation to ensure that public service delivery remains relevant, responsive and people-oriented.
"The government is aware of the financial constraints faced by public servants in improving their academic qualifications, competencies and professionalism. Therefore, PSD offers various funding schemes for this purpose.
"There are existing programmes that have been enhanced, such as the Apel.Q programme, which offers an affordable and faster pathway to Master's and PhD qualifications based on work experience, with the government covering half of the cost of furthering education," he said.
He said other sponsorship programmes available include the Federal Training Award (HLP), HLP Self-Funded Partial Scholarship and the Implementation Group Sponsorship programme.
Wan Ahmad Dahlan said PSD also offers various short-term courses in emerging focus areas, such as the Premier Leadership programme, Strategic Management and Competent Executive Development (Prospek) programme and 13 International Attachment Strategic Collaboration (Karisma) programmes.
He said public service reform could not rely solely on changes to structures and procedures, but must instead be driven by officers who continuously strengthen their knowledge, enhance their competencies and cultivate values in carrying out their responsibilities to the people.
"Those who are interested can apply for these programmes once they are advertised. Heads of departments are encouraged to provide officers with the opportunity and due consideration to enhance their academic qualifications and competencies, while also encouraging knowledge-sharing within the organisation," he said. – Bernama
