KUCHING: The major role of the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development is to identify and develop talents needed for Sarawak’s industries, in line with the vision of the state becoming a high-income and developed state by 2030.
Minister Datuk Roland Sagah said the Ministry will therefore continuously build Sarawak’s technological and innovation capabilities as well as quality human capital to keep pace with overall development.
“There are two focus areas of human capital, first is to develop digital talents and the future workforce and second, to improve livelihood and welfare.
“By 2030, Sarawak needs to achieve 60 per cent of students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). There are various initiatives by the Ministry to promote STEM in Sarawak including Program Jerayawara Sahabat Astronomi, STEM Playground, collaboration with higher institutions, research institutions, schools, public and private sectors and also non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
“Currently, only about 30 per cent of students in Sarawak area enrolled in STEM packages since its inception in 2017.”
He said this at the closing of the CENTEXS Digital Tech Event 2022: The International Symposium on Digital Industry Transformation and in conjunction with the 5th International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak (IDECS) 2022 at Centexs on today (June 8).
Sagah stated that the Ministry will continuously develop and implement policies and legislation related to digital education, training and upskilling for employment, in line with the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
He also mentioned that the Ministry has taken various initiatives including the setting up of the Sarawak Science Camp facility as a platform to inculcate interest and appreciation in science and technology among the younger generation and public in Sarawak.
“We hope the Sarawak Science Centre will be a platform for informal learning through immersive experience, interactive fun exhibits, where students can carry out science explorations and physical activities,” he said.
Sagah also stressed the need for Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to produce future proof talents, pointing out that a strong partnership between the government, institutions and industries must exist for Digital Industry Transformation to succeed.
“Through this partnership, both industries and technical institutions can invest in intelligent skilled talent, first-class infrastructure, advanced equipment, job training, employment opportunities and many more benefits.
“Therefore, I hope CENTEXS and other institutions in Sarawak, continuously leverage partnerships with industries especially co-invest in education and skills training to transition the workforce to be future-ready.
“PPP also drives innovation and is crucial in broadening set of skills and talents, driving innovative thinking and creativity, cultivating diligent and responsive work culture,” he added.
Sagah said CENTEXS is on the right track to generating more advanced and future-ready talents through its partnerships with global leading industry partners such as Huawei, Eon Reality, Keysight Technology, Bosch Rexroth, NExT Schlumberger, IBM, and Sarawak industries, in line with the International Symposium on Digital Industry Transformation.
The event also saw the signing of memorandum of understanding (MoU) between CENTEXS with Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, University Malaysia Computer Science and Engineering (UNIMY) and Pustaka Negeri Sarawak, which will help to develop comprehensive education and training programmes to support manpower development in Sarawak while another MoU was signed between CENTEXS Commercial with Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (SHEDA) in bringing smart technologies into Sarawak homes.
