Sabah readies skilled workforce to drive NIMP 2030

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 13): Malaysia is entering a new industrial era driven by innovation, technology, and high-value industries.

Guided by the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), the nation is moving beyond traditional manufacturing toward more strategic sectors such as in renewable energy.

Central to driving this transformation is the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), which leads the implementation of NIMP 2030 to reposition Malaysia as a competitive, high- value industrial hub.

Through a mission-based approach, MITI is aligning national policies, investment incentives, and industry engagement to accelerate the shift toward advanced manufacturing, sustainable industries, and greater economic complexity.

Furthermore, MITI plays a key role in ensuring that industrial growth is supported by the right capabilities on the ground.

By coordinating closely with agencies such as the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and industry stakeholders, MITI helps align skills development, technology adoption and workforce readiness with the needs of priority sectors.

This approach ensures that NIMP 2030’s goals of higher productivity, inclusivity and sustainable industrialisation are translated into real outcomes across states and industries.

This requires progressive policies and a highly skilled workforce. Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) pathways play a critical role in this effort.

In line with this, Dr Firdausi Suffian, Chief Executive Officer of Invest Sabah Berhad, believes that human capital is at the heart of Sabah’s economic competitiveness.

“A robust and industry-ready workforce is one of Sabah’s most compelling assets to attract and retain investors,” he said.

“When companies can hire skilled local talent, they ramp up production faster, spend less on importing workers, and meet international standards like Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), Halal, and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) more efficiently.”

According to the Sabah Human Capital Development Report 2024, nearly 72 percent of employers now consider local TVET graduates to be “adequately skilled” for entry-level roles marked improvement from 58 percent just five years ago.

This positive trajectory reflects Sabah’s concerted efforts to align education and training with real industry needs, particularly in manufacturing, logistics, and the fast-growing renewable energy sector.

In recent years, the collaboration between the Energy Commission of Sabah (ECOS) and the state’s Human Resource Development Department has intensified demand for technically skilled workers in energy-related fields.

Through new memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with polytechnics and private training providers, joint certification and apprenticeship programmes have been introduced to equip technicians and engineers with cutting-edge skills in grid modernisation, energy efficiency, and solar operations.

These initiatives are crucial to realising the Sabah Energy Roadmap and Master Plan 2040.

“Sabah’s direction is clear. We are closing the skills gap and building a workforce that is not only employable but indispensable to the state’s industrial transformation,” Dr Firdausi explained.

The demand for niche technical expertise continues to grow, with industries seeking multi-skilled technicians, maintenance engineers, and industrial safety officers capable of managing increasingly automated systems.

Most TVET graduates currently find employment in manufacturing, oil and gas services, construction, utilities, and logistics.

However, Dr Firdausi predicts that the next wave of demand will come from renewable energy, blue economy ventures, halal food processing, electronics assembly, and drone-enabled industrial services.

“As Sabah pioneers the Blue Economy, we’ll see growing demand for skills in aquaculture technology, marine research, and ocean resource management,” he noted.

To ensure that training aligns with these opportunities, Invest Sabah is working closely with both investors and educational institutions.

However, some training institutes also struggle to access the same high-tech machinery used in modern plants, creating a gap between classroom learning and real-world application.

“Employers often tell us that while our graduates are capable, they need more exposure to real equipment, stronger English proficiency, and stricter adherence to safety protocols,” Dr Firdausi shared.

To overcome this, Sabah is embedding live training labs directly within major industrial parks, allowing trainees to learn on real equipment including solar PV and battery energy storage systems (BESS) and packaging and process automation lines.

This hands-on model ensures that students gain practical experience before stepping into the workforce.

Invest Sabah is also championing “skills pacts” with investors. Through these agreements, companies commit to offering internships and hiring a portion of local trainees, while the state supports training pipelines tailored to their operational needs.

This guarantees employers a ready pool of qualified workers and provides graduates with a clear career pathway.

At the same time, Sabah continues to promote its unique strengths to potential investors.

“We tell investors that Sabah offers more than just resources or location. We have lower staff turnover than the Klang Valley, a multi-lingual workforce, an established halal ecosystem, and a strategic position within the BIMP-EAGA growth region. These advantages make Sabah a long-term, sustainable choice.” Dr Firdausi explained A technically skilled local workforce is also a powerful magnet for foreign and domestic investors.

“When companies see that our people have the right technical capabilities, it builds confidence that their projects can be implemented efficiently and sustainably,” Dr Firdausi said.

“Skilled Sabahans are partners in driving industrial growth and creating long-term value for the state.”

All these initiatives align seamlessly with NIMP 2030, which emphasises high-value, technology- driven, and sustainable industrialisation.

Sabah’s focus on renewable energy, biomass processing, blue economy projects, halal food production, and green manufacturing directly supports this national agenda.

Cluster-based training academies and micro-credential programmes are equipping the workforce for Industry 4.0, while targeted inclusion of women and youth ensures the benefits are shared widely.

Dr Firdausi highlighted several flagship initiatives that directly advance NIMP’s goals including “hire-to-operate” cohorts that train workers to investors’ standards before a plant opens, green skills certifications in solar and energy audits, and local vendor upskilling programmes.

“By investing in human capital now, Sabah is aligning itself with NIMP 2030 to attract high-value investments and ensure those investments bring maximum benefits to our people,” he said.

Dr Firdausi said industry needs high-skill technicians and STEM roles lead to stable, well-paying careers that can progress into supervisory or engineering positions.

“Invest in yourself by building a foundation in safety, discipline, and communication. Stack your skills, earn recognised certifications, and seek real-world experience. Don’t be afraid to move or take up apprenticeships that will accelerate your growth.”