Award Presentation Ceremony for TechXPLORE Digital Apprenticeship Programme Cohort 2

The Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) held an award presentation ceremony for Cohort 2 of Tech Experience Learning Overseas in a Real-Working Environment (TechXPLORE) Digital Apprenticeship Programme on Tuesday, 14 October 2025, at Seri Kerna Hall, AITI.

Present as the guest of honour was Haji Jailani Bin Haji Buntar, Chief Executive of AITI, and co-lead for the Manpower Steering Committee Working Group for ICT Sector (MISC-WG ICT). Also in attendance were Pengiran Sarimah Binti Pengiran Haji Abdul Latiff, Chairperson, InfoCom Federation Brunei (IFB) as MISC WG ICT co-lead; MISC-WG ICT members; and members of Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL).

The ceremony began with welcoming remarks by Muhammad Razan Bin Haji Abdul Razak, Acting Assistant Chief Executive for Industry Development Group, AITI. In his speech, Muhammad Razan expressed his appreciation to collaborative partners and highlighted AITI’s continuous efforts to develop Brunei’s digital talent pipeline through international exposure and hands-on industry experience.

Following the opening remarks, Pengiran Mohammad Khairi Bin Pengiran Haji Metussin, Managing Director of Mindtrex Academy Sdn Bhd, AITI’s collaborative partner for Cohort 2 of the TechXPLORE Programme, presented an overview of the apprenticeship and expectations throughout the seven-month programme including industry placement in Bandung, Indonesia.

The guest of honour proceeded to officially award the five (5) Cohort 2 of TechXPLORE Digital Apprenticeship, who have been selected based on their potential to excel in their respective ICT fields. They are:

1. Muhammad Haziq Zulfadli Bin Othman: A graduate from the International Graduate Studies (IGS) College taking Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Software Engineering with Multimedia. He will be assigned as a Fullstack Developer, to design, develop, and maintain both front-end and back-end components of web applications to ensure seamless user experiences and efficient server-side functionality.

2. Mohammad Syazwi Bin Mohammad Suferi: A graduate from Laksamana College of Brunei (LCB) taking Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Applied Computing. He will also be working as a Fullstack Developer, working across the entire technology stack, handling user interfaces, server logic, and databases, enabling end-to-end development and deployment of software solutions.

3. Dayangku Nur Batrisyia Binti Pengiran Haji Shaifulrizal: A graduate from Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), taking Bachelor of Digital Science (Data Science). She will serve as a System Analyst which is to design and improve IT systems by analysing needs, developing solutions, and ensuring smooth system performance.

4. Mohamad Ikhwan Bin Haji Harun: A fresh graduate from Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), taking Bachelor of Digital Science (Cybersecurity and Forensics) assigned as a Junior DevOps Engineer, working on automating infrastructure, assisting with deployment processes, and monitoring system performance to help ensure efficient and reliable software operations.

5. Awangku Muhammad Aiman Bin Pengiran Nasaruddin: A graduate from Laksamana College of Business (LCB) with Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science. He will also take on the role of Junior DevOps Engineer, supporting development and operation teams by managing deployments, ensuring system reliability, and optimising workflows and performance.

The Cohort 2 participants started their apprenticeship with an onboarding session on 6 October 2025 and will travel for their six-month placement in early November 2025 to Bandung, Indonesia. During their apprenticeship period, they will be under the supervision of industry experts and will engage in practical, hands-on projects relevant to their assigned job roles.

With the objective to give opportunities to local youth job seekers who graduated in the ICT field to become more employable and industry-ready, TechXPLORE Digital Apprenticeship Programme is an initiative by AITI supported by the MISC-WG ICT formed under the Manpower Planning and Employment Council (MPEC) at the Prime Minister’s Office. Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 of the programme are conducted in collaboration with Mindtrex Academy Sdn Bhd as AITI’s Programme Partner. This programme also aligns with Brunei’s Digital Economy Masterplan 2025 in supporting the nation’s vision to develop a highly educated, skilled and accomplished, and dynamic and sustainable economy.

Mindtrex Academy Sdn Bhd has developed tailored scope of work, detailed role descriptions, and defined technical competencies for the TechXPLORE participants based on the Brunei ICT Industry Competency Framework (BIICF), a comprehensive guide on ICT industry job roles, skills, and competency requirements. This ensures that the training aligns with contemporary industry standards and practices, allowing participants to gain relevant skills and experience necessary to meet current market demands.

AITI aims to equip Brunei's youth with the skills, knowledge, and global exposure needed for the digital landscape by investing in local ICT graduates through TechXPLORE, which will provide technical, soft skills, and real-world experience, preparing participants to contribute to the future growth of the Brunei’s ICT sector.

Cohort 3 of TechXPLORE is planned to be opened for registrations in 2026. Any local organisations with international offices or partners, who are interested in collaborating with AITI as Programme Partners, or have any enquiries about the programme, may contact Dayang Umi Kalshum Binti Suhaimi at kalshum.suhaimi@aiti.gov.bn.