KOTA KINABALU: Institute for Development Studies (Sabah) executive director, Datuk Mohd Hasnol Ayub yesterday said local skills training centres are still needed in Sabah to produce additional skilled workers to meet the growing demand by 2020.
According to him, the Federation of Accredited Department of Skills Development Malaysia (FeMAC) has reported that Sabah needs an additional 16,000 skilled workers annually to meet the growing demand by 2020.
Youths would have more employment opportunities with the 143,700 jobs to be created by the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC), he said at the SDC Innovation Public Forum jointly organised by the Institute for Development Studies Sabah (IDS) and Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (SEDIA), which was officially opened by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.
Mohd Hasnol added that out of the 143,700 job opportunities, 29,611 would be in the agriculture sector, 23,122 in the oil and gas sector, 15,891 in the tourism industry and 12,201 in the palm oil industry.
He pointed out that the Malaysian government has been fully committed in its efforts to transform the country into a high-income nation.
In terms of training institutions, other than universities, the government also provides other skills training institutes such as the Industrial Training Institutes (ITI), National Youth Skills Institute (IKBN), Agricultural Institutes (Sabah Lima Agricultural Institutes) and Institute Kemahiran MARA.
These institutes, he said, offered different fields of skills for industrial workers, agricultural entrepreneurs, technical and also in business industry.
“As all of you are aware, the main objective of this forum is to explore and get feedback from all stakeholders on ways to enhance the quality and skills of human capital in Sabah. We believe this forum is crucial as it serves as an important avenue for stakeholders to share views on the current situation of the quality of our human capital and the future needs of Sabah,” he said.
Mohd Hasnol added that there is an urgent need to explore the state’s human capital capability in various disciplines to match the demand of the job market and industries in the state.
“As we move forward in our mission to achieve the objective of the New Economic Model (NEM), to reach high income status by 2020, our human capital will have to be ready to meet the expectations of the growing industries in Malaysia and Sabah,” he said.
According to Mohd Hasnol, effective and efficient human capital planning is crucial for economic development and economic prosperity of a country.
“Dublin and our neighbor Singapore are two inspiring examples of how effective and efficient human capital planning have successfully contributed to their countries’ economic prosperity,” he stressed.