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Yayasan Tenaga Nasional (YTN) is a foundation under the national giant, Tenaga Nasional Berhad(TNB) that offers scholarships to SPM leavers who will eventually be working under the TNB corporation. The type of scholarships offered are overseas, twinning and local (UNITEN) scholarships. In 2019, the scholars chosen for the overseas programme will be flying of the either USA, UK, New Zealand or Australia. As for the courses, YTN offers scholarships in Mechanical Engineering, Power Engineering, Business Analytics, Data Science, Accounting and more (varies yearly). If any of these courses are included in your list of potential careers, then the application process should be something you don't wanna miss.
The application process starts right after the results were announced. We filled in an online application form provided by Yayasan Tenaga Nasional (YTN) in their website. The form consists of a few pages and each page requires different details. The vital parts were our SPM results and the extracurricular participation. Unlike some other scholarships, this one did not require us to write any essay.
It is highly encouraged to check the requirements before applying for the scholarship. If you have completed your application form and sure enough to send it to them, send it right away! You will receive an email stating that your application is being processed.
While waiting, you will need to go for medical check-ups, print the documents that you have scanned (all of them) and get ready for the interview. Make sure your preparation for interview relates with all the certs you have sent. And now the form has been submitted, the process goes to the next crucial step - interview.
If you have been selected for the interviews, CONGRATULATIONS! The interview will be a simple two-stage process. The online test and an interview with a set of panellists working under TNB. The online test is a simple test on ethics and personality evaluation that is used for the committee to evaluate our eligibility to be part of YTN. The following interview is the best part of the entire process. As a person who went to multiple scholarship interviews, the YTN interview was the most casual and fun interview. No need to be nervous, these panellists basically just want to get to know us better by having a 30-minute chat. I remember my friend even ended up demonstrating the different styles of zapin in Malaysia which really shows to what extent the fun you will have in the interview rooms. The big tip is to completely be yourself. That chat is not for you to sell yourself, it’s just for them to get to know you in a fun way. Do not forget to bring along your resume and certificates though, they want to see those too!
On the day of the results, those who succeed will receive an email attached with some documents regarding the scholarship including the details of the course offered, country assigned and term of bond with TNB along with the regulations of the scholarship. YOU ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY REJECTED IF YOU DID NOT GET ACCEPTED ON THE DAY OF THE RESULTS, SOME GET THE SCHOLARSHIP EVEN A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
For YTN scholars, there will be an official scholarship presentation ceremony and an orientation programme. Both are events that are compulsory for the scholars. During the orientation, you will meet all the other YTN scholars from different campuses and programmes as you listen to talks, do outdoor obstacle courses and compete with each other in fun games. This camp is really cool as it basically gives you a preview of all the possible co-workers you might have in the future.
Studying as a YTN scholar right now is a very comforting experience itself. With a lenient minimum GPA requirement, we are encouraged to be active in many activities inside and outside our college. In our later degree years, scholars would also be given multiple opportunities to familiarize ourselves with the company and our job scope with internship programmes and a training programme under TNB. As an overseas scholar, YTN has also given a set list of universities to apply for, for each specific course. This eases the process for university hunting.
Overall, the YTN scholarship is a great choice to apply for if you have interest in any of the courses I have mentioned above. Because the numbers of YTN scholars chosen each year are not so big, it is easier for those in charge of the scholars to take care of our welfare, academic growth as well as personal growth. Just like how you would want the world to be better, brighter you will also be better, brighter with TNB.
Liyana Taib is currently doing her foundation for further studies in electrical power engineering at the United States under the American Degree Transfer Programme in INTEC Shah Alam.