KUCHING: The Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) wants to start institutionalising the engagement and collaboration mechanism with all industry players and training institutions to develop human talent in Sarawak.
Minister, Datuk Roland Sagah said with the effort, institutions in the state will constantly get updated information on skill set requirements from the various sectors for their planning in terms of relevant courses.
“In terms of the Ministry’s role, the Talent Development division, that was established under the Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development , Datuk Francis Harden Hollis will help identify and adjust suitable strategies, initiatives, and interventions to facilitate closing the demand and supply gap, in industry.
“The ministry needs to set up new directions and functions so the division can effectively develop human talent for the future of Sarawak,” he said during a press conference after the opening of the MEITD Inaugural Talent Development Workshop at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here on Wednesday (July 13).
He said nearly a dozen industry sectors are listed under the Sarawak Post Covid Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030), both the economic and enabling sectors.
“And within those sectors, there are many sub-sectors. For example, the manufacturing industry, the agriculture industry and the utility sector, it is composed of three major sub-sectors namely electricity, water and soon, natural gas.
“All these sectors and sub-sectors have their own diverse needs regarding skill sets and workforce numbers. Each company within the sub-sectors will also have its own needs in different technologies and equipment.
“Under the VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) environment today, it is understood that the workforce requirements may also change from time to time from initial estimates,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Sagah said the objectives of the two-day workshop are to formulate a new framework for talent development to align with PCDS 2030 and to develop clear strategies and key performance indicators (KPIs).
“It is also to promote active collaborations across ministries, departments, TVET & IHL and agencies and to encourage active engagement with private sectors to develop talent for industry,” he added.
