‘Forklift’ To A New Life

Mohamed Hardi Bin Abdullah calls it the “turning point in my life” when he passed the five-day forklift driver training course at PSA Corporation. Prior to that, the eight-letter word “forklift” was foreign to him as the 33-year-old was only accustomed to the hotel-service industry, where he was a Bell Captain until his hotel was taken over by a new management in 2009.

“I jumped from one contract job to another, rather aimlessly, as I had to make ends meet at home,” recalled the father of a four-year-old girl, who lives in Jurong West. And it was while working at one of these jobs that he found out that most of his colleagues had a forklift licence.

“I asked them further on the job-scope, career advancement and pay-structure as I was not familiar with the warehouse industry. The more I asked, the more interesting and challenging answers I got,” he said. “I later found out that it cost $500 to obtain a forklift licence. This was way beyond my budget.”

 

Positive Reply

Fortunately, Mohamed Hardi’s wife advised him to seek help from the career centre located at North West CDC in Woodlands Civic Centre with a view to subsidise the course. Almost immediately, he was scheduled an interview with a career consultant.

“My assigned officer, Mr Joash Lee, was sincere in recommending me for the training assistance.  And barely two weeks later, I was told that the career centre would subsidise the course fees, and I have to fork out only $57.

He underwent the theory and practical lessons at PSA Vista & Brani Terminal to learn the forklift driving skills and on October 4 last year, he passed the course.

Turning Point

“That was the turning point in my life to get over a new work-challenge and obtain the PSA forklift licence. I was very happy for myself, my family and everyone who supported me,” he said.

Mohamed Hardi wasted no time in looking for forklift-related jobs and successfully joined Caterpillar Reman as a Production Technician (Warehouse) just a month after he completed his course.

“My wife was the happiest as she went through the most difficult periods with me,” he said. “She’s been my biggest support and motivator.”

Opportunity of a Lifetime

Mohamed Hardi takes his hat out to Caterpillar for giving him “the opportunity of my lifetime to work in the warehouse”. He is thrilled that he is now able to pursue further part-time studies in Logistic & Supply Chain Management with the Singapore Institute of Material Management (SIMM) to advance his career.

“Caterpillar equipped me with more training to familiarise with the nature of a number of jobs. My manager, Mr Adrian Ee, always encouraged me to improve. My team leader (Suhaimi), the most influential man in the warehouse, never stopped guiding me and sharing his industry know-how,” he said. “Caterpillar warehouse is like family, where everyone works as a team.”

Today, Mohamed Hardi is at peace and working hard to do the best he can for his family.

“I enjoy spending quality time with my family, doing things together, like watching DVDs, and playing our family-favourite games on PS3. I also enjoy playing football and my favourite football team is Manchester United and favourite player, Eric Cantona.”

“It’s all a mind game. I never gave up when I was down and out. With family support and help from the career centre, I was able to turn around my career,” he said. “I believe determination, hard work, sincerity and a bit of luck are the ingredients to succeed.”

Visit our Career Centres for the career guidance you need. These centres provide employment and training assistance for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents, and will also advise you on available jobs and training options.

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