By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Dec 1: Sarawak is taking a major step toward building a sustainable and globally competitive mineral industry with the establishment of the Green Mining and Quarrying Academy, Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh told the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) today.
He said the State government approved the academy during the launch of the new Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS) campus in Lawas on Aug 25, 2025, to address the growing demand for specialised expertise and skills in the mining and quarrying sectors.
“The academy will serve as a training hub, a learning centre as well as a platform for research and development (R&D) focused on ensuring the sustainability of Sarawak’s mineral industry,” he said when delivering the ministerial winding-up speech.
To strengthen its training ecosystem, Len Talif revealed that the ministry and CENTEXS signed a Statement of Cooperation (SOC) with the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada on Nov 6 this year, forming an international training partnership.
“This collaboration is crucial to producing a skilled and highly knowledgeable workforce so that Sarawak’s mining and quarrying industry can grow in line with global best practices,” he added.
With the academy set to roll out its programmes, Len Talif encouraged Sarawakians to take up training opportunities in the field to meet the industry’s future manpower needs. – DayakDaily
