STIDC’s POYOD 2018 making great strides
KUCHING: The Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) celebrated the completion of its pioneer first-year training programme for ‘Pool of Young Designers (POYOD) 2018’ recently.
According to the corporation, new designs developed by POYOD have generated RM47 million worth of trade and sales enquiries – thanks to the implementation of POYOD’s three projects as well as through STIDC’s participation, with POYOD and Samling, in the Index Mumbai in May this year, the Australian International Furniture Fair in Melbourne in July, and the Downtown Design Exhibition in Dubai in November.
“This has opened a new market for Sarawak furniture internationally and provides a good lead to Sarawak furniture exports in the near future. STIDC wishes to congratulate POYOD for this achievement and for their full commitment and dedication in pursuing their careers in designing,” said STIDC.
Having commenced in January this year, the pioneering industrial training programme served to provide POYOD with design, production and marketing processes that could enhance their entrepreneurship skills and knowledge; thus increasing their marketability and employability in Sarawak timber industry.
The second year of training will consist of an internship with Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), which should provide international input and more exposure to the POYOD, as well as add further value to STIDC’s POYOD training programme.
STIDC general manager Hashim Bojet commented: “STIDC envisages for POYOD to be the catalyst that will lead to the growth in furniture designs in Sarawak timber industry – an added advantage, in STIDC efforts to spur the development of the furniture industry in Sarawak.
“The POYOD training programme will not only benefit the company that participate in the training, but it will also benefit the whole timber industry. Hence, we are getting the involvement of the Sarawak Timber Association (STA) through coordinated implementation of the POYOD industrial training programme.”
Hashim also, on behalf of STIDC, wanted to express thanks to the management of Samling Group and Samling Housing Products Sdn Bhd for their support and cooperation in being the first party to collaborate with STIDC in the implementation of the POYOD industrial training programme.