A total of 882 graduates from Politeknik Brunei (PB), comprising 388 male and 494 female students, celebrated their achievements on Thursday at the institution’s Class of 2024 Convocation Ceremony.
The ceremony marked the completion of their three-year courses, culminating in the award of Level 5 Diplomas. Graduates hailed from five of PB’s key schools: the School of Business, School of Information and Communication Technology, School of Science and Engineering, School of Health Sciences, and School of Petrochemical.
These diplomas hold official recognition by the Ministry of Education through the Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council.
The convocation was held in two sessions – morning and afternoon – reflecting the growing number of graduates.
The morning session was attended by the Minister of Education, Datin Seri Setia Dr Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohammad Salleh, as the guest of honour.
In his welcoming address, PB’s Acting Director, Lim Kian Boon, who also served as the Chairman of the Executive and Working Committee for the 10th Convocation, highlighted the institution’s progress.
“Since Politeknik Brunei’s establishment, we have proudly produced 5,543 graduates across various diploma programmes, including commerce, ICT, science and engineering, health sciences, and petrochemicals,” he stated.
He noted that, for the Class of 2024, a total of 882 graduates had successfully completed their studies in 32 programmes across PB’s five schools.
This year’s ceremony included the graduation of the first cohort in nine new programmes – one from the School of Information and Communication Technology, two from the School of Health Sciences, and six from the School of Petrochemical.
He also highlighted that the graduation rate for the Class of 2024 reached an impressive 97.4 per cent, reflecting an increase from the previous year.
Reflecting on PB’s recent developments, Lim shared that the graduate employment rate for the Class of 2023, measured six months post-convocation, stood at 63.2 per cent, with 32.5 per cent of graduates pursuing further studies.
“These achievements underline Politeknik Brunei’s role as a key provider of high-quality, skilled, and competitive human resources for both the public and private sectors,” he added.
He also emphasised PB’s commitment to equipping students with workplace-ready skills, citing a survey of employers who hired graduates from the Class of 2022.
The survey indicated a 96 per cent satisfaction rate with the job performance and quality of the graduates 12 months into their employment, underscoring PB’s efforts in preparing students for professional success.
Aligning with the Ministry of Education’s Strategic Plan 2023-2027, Politeknik Brunei has been working on initiatives under its own five-year development plan (2021-2025).
Lim noted that these efforts are aimed at contributing to the nation’s broader objectives, including the vision of Wawasan Brunei 2035.
In support of the hospitality sector, Politeknik Brunei has also fostered partnerships with nine industry players.
“These collaborations have led to the successful development of the Level 5 Diploma Apprenticeship in Hospitality & Management Operations,” Lim said, highlighting the Dual-System Apprenticeship Model that combines academic learning with practical on-the-job training (OJT) to enhance graduates’ skills and competencies.
The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of awards by the Minister of Education to the distinguished graduates.
Notable attendees at the morning session included Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy (Fiscal) Pengiran Datin Seri Paduka Hajah Zety Sufina binti Pengiran Dato Haji Sani, in her role as the Chairman of the PB Board of Governors, alongside other members of the board.
The afternoon session commenced with a student procession, followed by the arrival of the guest of honour Minister of Development Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Muhammad Juanda bin Haji Abdul Rashid.
The Minister then presented awards to graduates, bringing the day’s celebrations to a meaningful close.
