TRANSLATED BY ANNABELL NAJA TOMMY
KUCHING: The Sarawak Ministry of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development is determined to achieve its target of having a 30 per cent skilled and self-sufficient workforce through the development of local talent.
Minister Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn pointed out the importance of cultivating a highly knowledgeable and skilled workforce to drive Sarawak’s development.
“We hope this can be achieved and we don’t just rely on institutions in Sarawak, in fact, throughout Malaysia.
“For that reason, we are collaborating with TalentCorp (TalentCorp Company) who will be able to help us in this matter, where we will look at institutions in Malaysia, and maybe even outside Malaysia as well.”
He told the media this on Monday (Nov 6) following the inauguration of the Sarawak Industry-Academia Collaboration Workshop involving the ministry, TalentCorp, and the Regional Corridor Development Authority.
Sagah (fourth from right) receiving a souvenir from TalentCorp chief executive officer Thomas Mathew (third from right).
Sagah revealed that the government has been actively working on meeting the state’s needs and devising strategies to achieve the 30 per cent skilled workforce target, which is aligned with Sarawak’s Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030.
“Thirty per cent is not a lot (about 500,000 people). It should be 50 per cent, but even if we are optimistic of achieving this, we have to be practical.”
He highlighted the presence of several educational institutions in Sarawak, both state-owned and private, including Swinburne University, Curtin University, Sarawak University of Technology, i-CATS University College, Sarawak Centre of Technical Excellence, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Universiti Teknologi Mara, and Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Sagah also mentioned the proposal by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg for Petronas to establish a campus in Sarawak, which received a positive response.
“In addition to these institutions, Sarawak has private educational establishments, polytechnics, and vocational schools capable of contributing to achieving the workforce development target.”
