Khairul (standing, second right) and Dr Mohammed Azman (right) visit participating booths during the carnival.
KOTA KINABALU (May 9): The Ministry of Human Resources will launch the Sabah Talent Development Centre (STDC) in the near future to strengthen workforce development and improve employment opportunities in the state.
Its deputy minister Datuk Khairul Firdaus said the one-stop centre would play a significant role in ensuring training and workforce initiatives are aligned with industry demands while helping Sabahans secure suitable jobs.
He said the centre was an initiative driven by the ministry through the Social Security Organisation (Socso), adding it would also strengthen federal-state government collaboration.
“We want to ensure that every training programme and every initiative truly meets industry needs. That is the major role to be played by the Sabah Talent Development Centre,” he said after officiating the Karnival Lindung Kerjaya MyFutureJobs Negeri Sabah 2026 at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here.
Khairul said the location for the centre has already been identified, but further details would be announced later by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor.
He said the move was in line with the Sabah Maju Jaya development plan, particularly in creating more employment opportunities and reducing unemployment in the state.
Meanwhile, he said this year’s carnival saw the participation of 54 employers offering close to 5,400 job opportunities, with 80 per cent of the vacancies available within Sabah.
He said the annual carnival was organised to ensure local youths are provided with greater access to employment opportunities while encouraging employers to actively promote vacancies within their respective companies.
“With programmes such as this, we can create closer cooperation and stronger understanding between the federal government and the Sabah government,” he said.
He added that Socso offices located in major districts across Sabah continue to provide assistance to job seekers, including resume preparation, career guidance and personality assessments to help match individuals with suitable employment.
The deputy minister said the establishment of STDC would further enhance the role of state agencies in workforce development while strengthening strategic cooperation between both governments.
“This is a very good opportunity for Sabah because there is currently no one-stop centre of this kind,” he said.
Also present at the event were Socso group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed and Sabah State Economic Planning Unit deputy director Datuk Robert Stidi.