KUCHING: The Sarawak Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030) aims to achieve a skilled workforce of 30 per cent, all the while ensuring a sufficient pool of local talent.
As Sarawak propels itself towards becoming a developed state by 2030, it is imperative to nurture a skilled workforce to reduce dependency on foreign labour in line with the burgeoning industrial growth.
In pursuit of this target, Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp) together with the Sarawak Ministry of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development (MEITD), along with the Regional Corridor Development Authority (RECODA), are joining forces to bolster Sarawak’s efforts to cultivate local skilled workforce by 2030 through the Industry-Academia collaboration (IAC) initiative by TalentCorp.
Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn, Minister of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development Sarawak, has praised TalentCorp’s endeavours, emphasising their commitment to paving the way to enable the success of this initiative for Sarawak. This collaboration is poised to provide invaluable insights into the state’s education system, enabling the tailoring of initiatives for greater effectiveness.
“Our long-term vision for Sarawak’s digital economy is to establish our state as a hub of innovation, technology, and economic prosperity,” he remarked.
The IAC workshop platform is set to convene via focused group discussions to collect inputs, insights, and feedback from IAC stakeholders, with a primary focus on talent-related challenges and issues faced by various industry clusters. The event brought together representatives from industry and academia, totalling more than 80 participants.
Thomas Mathew, TalentCorp Group chief executive officer, emphasised the urgency of preparing a future industry-ready talent pool. The IAC initiative is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping a workforce adaptable to the evolving needs of the industries.
“This is precisely why we have gathered here today — to explore strategies for shaping and nurturing the potential talent pool, with a particular emphasis on key sectors such as Oil and Gas, Manufacturing, and Services, alongside the promising tourism sector set to expand over the next decade,” he added.
Dr. Hadysyam Junaidi, the director of corporate services, on behalf of RECODA’s chief executive officer (CEO), Datuk Ismawi Hj Ismuni said, “Our mission involves attracting investments, executing development projects, creating jobs for Sarawakians, engaging with industry stakeholders, supporting local communities, and implementing industry-focused upskilling and employment programmes which is aligned with the Government vision”.
