KUCHING, June 8: Public-private partnership is crucial for Sarawak to achieve its target of having 60 per cent of its students enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) courses by 2030, as current student enrolment in these subjects only stands at 30 per cent.
Minister for Education, Technology and Talent Development (MEITD) Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn emphasised that the plan to set up the Sarawak Science Centre is among the initiatives to increase the level of STEM literacy among the public, particularly to inculcate interest and appreciation in science and technology among the younger generation.
“To produce futureproof talents, we need public-private partnership (PPP). A strong partnership between the government, institutions and industries must exist for digital industry transformation to succeed.
“Technical institutions and industries are closely linked. 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,” he said when addressing the closing ceremony of the International Symposium on Digital Industry Transformation 2022 at Centexs Kuching near Rampangi here today.
The two-day symposium that started on June 7 was organised by the Centre of Technical Excellence Sarawak (Centexs) in collaboration with MEITD, Yayasan Sarawak, Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA), Sarawak Centre of Performance Excellence (Scope) and Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC).
Hence, Sagah hopes Centexs and other institutions in Sarawak will continuously leverage on partnerships with industries, especially to co-invest in education and skills training to transition the workforce for a future ready.
Noting that digital transformation has accelerated across industries, he said Centexs is on the right track to produce more advanced and future ready talent through partnership with global leading industry partners such as Huawei, Eon Reality, Keysights Technology, Bosch Rexroth, NExT Schlumberger, IBM and also industries in Sarawak.
Meanwhile, Centexs chief executive officer (CEO) Syeed Mohd Hussien Wan Abdul Rahman hopes that the establishment of Centexs would help fulfil the demands of the future workforce by training and upskilling the young generation to meet the digital and technical needs and requirements of industries in Sarawak.
“Our top priority now is to build both physical and digital infrastructure to increase efficiency and link Sarawak to the global market to power the State economy and digital talent development. This will become the platform for Sarawak’s economy to grow in the coming years, and create a thriving society for our future generation.
“While connectivity infrastructure is now being progressively completed which is expected to be fully in place covering the whole of Sarawak, the digital talent is as important.
“Centexs Digital Academy develops talent and skills to support the current workforce and local ecosystem. We must train our people to be future-ready and importantly, employable to meet requirements of the industries. Sarawakians must be ready to excel globally as highly skilled professionals and respected entrepreneurs,” he added. — DayakDaily
