Julaihi (fourth left) witnessing the exchange of signed MoUs with Abdul Rashid (third right), Abu Bakar (second left) and Dr Abdul Rahman (second right) yesterday.
KUCHING: Sarawak Foundation is working with the Work Force Development Unit of the Chief Minister’s Office to address the projected shortfall of workers at the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).
It is estimated that SCORE would need about 6,250 professionals and skilled workers by 2020, but the state can only produce 3,150 workers based on current capacity.
“I strongly believe one of the critical components for the successful industrial development of Sarawak, particularly in SCORE, is adequate and timely support of highly skilled and technically competent workforce that is able to meet the needs of the industry,” said Assistant Minister for Industrial Development (Investment and Promotion) Datuk Julaihi Narawi yesterday.
Opening the third workshop on Developing a Curriculum for Technical Education and Training (Dacum) at Pullman Hotel, he stressed it was therefore necessary for the state government to boost training capacity.
Citing a study by Dato Prof Lance Twomey in 2012, Julaihi said graduates from many skills training institutions lack the skills and competencies required in the marketplace.
“I believe that with the series of Dacum workshops that had been organised and planned, the issue on the relevance of curriculum can be addressed properly.”
Organised by Yayasan Sarawak and the Work Force Development Unit, the three-day workshop is participated by representatives from 16 companies and 20 institutions in the state.
Themed ‘Instructional Systems Design’ for the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the workshop is geared at enhancing the quality of existing curriculum in the Electrical and Electronic Instrumentation programmes and to identify new areas of value-added components.
The workshop would also explore occupational profile matching between industry and technical institutions as well as to strengthen Private-Public Partnership initiatives.
Meanwhile, Julaihi, who is also Sebuyau assemblyman and Assistant Minister for Rural Development, said SCORE was now the key driver for the state’s industrial push.
Sarawak, he added, was able to produce 20,000 MW of electricity mainly through renewable means such as hydropower at a relatively low cost. The availability of this energy source has attracted energy intensive industries to set up operations in the state.
As of March this year, a total of 18 projects have been approved, of which Samalaju has 14, Tanjung Manis (two), Kidurong (one), Mukah (one).
“These projects involve a total investment of RM29.43 billion and have the capacity to generate 16,000 job opportunities.
“Out of the 14 projects in Samalaju, eight projects with total investment of RM15.7 billion and with a capacity to generate 7,100 jobs are either already operating or in various stages of construction.”
He said two projects in Mukah and Tanjung Manis were already operational, with employment strength of 900 people.
“Fifty per cent of the jobs in all the 18 projects are technical in nature, and requires skilled and semi-skilled workers.”
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between four parties – Plus Sustain Sdn Bhd, Centre of Technical Excellence, Pusat Latihan Proaktif and Cahaya Educational and Training Academy – during the opening ceremony.
Yayasan Sarawak deputy chairman Datu Abdul Rashid Abdul Aziz, Yayasan Sarawak director Datu Abu Bakar Marzuki and Workforce Development Unit in the Chief Minister’s Office director Dr Abdul Rahman Deen were among those present.