Sabah Forestry Department

This report is my six-month internship at the Sepilok Forestry Research Centre, an institution under the Sabah Forestry Department. The content of my internship job is detailed in this report, focusing on the human resources (HR) and administrative support responsibilities, and it documents four major types of gains I obtained throughout the placement. During this industrial internship, I worked in the administrative office in the function of a clerk, liaising with the HR department and assisting office management duties. I provided support in a variety of administrative functions such as document filing, correspondence management, employee file maintenance, data entry and the preparation of official documents. I was exposed to internal coordination processes, which enhanced my knowledge of organisational management, personnel management, and the practical operations of public sector administration. I acquired five general workplace skills including communication, while performing a number of job duties. The supporting on-the-job training allowed me to transfer the academic information I acquired at university into hands-on administrative and human resources practice at a government research institute. This report first presents my student file, as well as basic background information on the organization that hosted my internship, including its vision, mission, and organisational structure. It also stores reflective content relating to the internship, including the overall time, work shift arrangement, and assignment completion status. The report focuses on summarising professional advancement in three areas: hands-on HR administrative practice, industry experience, and development of hard and soft skills. This study uses the SWOT analysis framework to undertake a thorough assessment of the operational environment of the research organization functioning in the forestry industry. The organization has basic strengths such as its established position in its field, a systematic administrative system and its contributions to sustainable forest management. But it has internal problems, such as poor digitalisation of administrative operations and poor communication efficiency. It is supported internally by a steady inter-institutional partnership and stakeholder participation; nonetheless, it faces external threats to its long-term development, such as resource limitations, increasing administrative demands, and environmental issues. During this internship at a public sector research institute, I gained a deeper understanding of its human resources and administrative functions, while also furthering my career development and workplace readiness.