State needs 1.3 mln skilled workers by 2030 — Len Talif
MIRI: Sarawak must double its skilled manpower to meet the demand from industries which need 1.3 million workers by 2030.
Assistant Minister for Workforce Development and Training Datu Len Talif Salleh said this when officiating at the Miri District ‘ Karnival Kemahiran Sinar Kecemerlangan ( KSK)’ at the Civic Centre here on Tuesday.
“We have to double our skilled workforce to meet the industrial demand, meaning we need to produce 40,000 each year but to put that into perspective, we have only 40,000 SPM school leavers presently,” he said.
Len said there is a need to change people’s perception of technical education and vocational training ( TEVT) to pursue a career in industries as skilled staff.
“There are evidence that those not academically-inclined who opted for TEVT ended up becoming PhD holders,” he said.
He said statistics showed that mismatch of skills and interest was one of the main contributors to unemployment among university graduates in the state and country.
“That is about 40 per cent, and these unemployed took up courses they were not interested in, with some forced to take up the fifth choice of courses in their enrolment due to lack of places in public universities,” he said.
As such, it would be more pragmatic for parents to encourage their children to take up technical education which offers good careers as in Germany, Japan and other developed countries, he said.
“Encourage less academicallyinclined children. Talk to them in ways to motivate them and identify their strength and inclination, be it in audio, mechanical or other fields,” he said.
He quoted Germany as a country whose economy had remained resilient despite the turbulence affecting Europe and the rest of the world because its strength lies in TEVT which is the top choice for university students in the country.
He welcomed the initiative by Miri Education Office to identify students more inclined to non- academic education and for collaborating with various parties on skills development programmes.
Five SKM- accredited centres from Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia signed memorandums of understanding ( MoUs) with Miri Education Office on the KSK programme.
They are Kolej AITC, Ethos Academy of OP Skills Development, Master Weld Academy Sdn Bhd, Kolej SATT and Imperial Academy of Tourism which offer assorted courses ranging from electrical and automotive to welding, hospitality and tourism.
Also present at the function were Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau, National Dual Training Scheme director Mohammad bin Yaacob, Miri district education officer Dr Hassan Hasbollah, school representatives, students and parents.