Sarawak’s education must prepare youth for future economy

KUCHING: Education must go beyond academic qualifications and prepare young people for the industries, technologies and challenges that will shape Sarawak’s future economy.

Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister, Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn, said students must acquire the skills and capabilities needed to meet future economic demands.

“Education cannot operate separately from the future economy. What our students learn today must prepare them for the industries, technologies and challenges that Sarawak will face tomorrow,” he said in a speech read by Head of Higher Education Division of the Ministry, Sharifah Fariah Syed Junaidi, at the closing ceremony of the International Sarawak Bridge and Mapping Challenge 2026 (ISBMC’26) at Dewan Jubli Perak, Polytechnic Kuching, here on Thursday (Oct 1).

He said the competition reflected the ministry’s priorities in developing young talents who could think critically, communicate effectively, work collaboratively, use technology confidently and solve problems creatively.

He added that the programme aligned with Sarawak’s Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, particularly in strengthening STEM education, expanding TVET participation and developing a skilled, industry-ready workforce.

“By 2030, Sarawak aims to achieve more than 60 per cent STEM enrolment at the upper secondary level, encourage more than 20 per cent of SPM leavers to pursue TVET programmes, and attain a real employability rate of more than 80 per cent among graduates of higher learning and TVET institutions,” he said.

Sagah said efforts to achieve these targets included positioning TVET as an attractive career pathway, strengthening collaboration between industry and educational institutions, increasing industry participation in talent development and ensuring an adequate supply of skilled manpower to meet Sarawak’s evolving industrial needs.

He said ISBMC’26 demonstrated how these priorities could be translated into action through its focus on digital and technical skills, soft and transferable skills, and an industry-driven TVET ecosystem.

“What we have witnessed is much more than competition. It is a gathering of ideas, talent, creativity and, most importantly, young people who are prepared to imagine what our future can become,” he said.

Sagah also highlighted the competition’s growth, which began as the Bridge Model Challenge at Polytechnic Kuching in 2012 before expanding into a Sarawak-level competition in 2023 and 2024.

This year’s event marked another milestone with its international dimension, involving 114 students from higher education institutions and 279 school students.

Overall, 662 individuals took part, including participants, supervisors, jury members and organising committee members.

Meanwhile, Polytechnic Kuching Sarawak’s Director, Mohamad Nazri Ismail, said ISBMC’26 provided students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge while developing creativity, technical skills and problem-solving abilities.

He said participants also gained valuable skills in teamwork, communication, project management and overcoming challenges, which would benefit them in their studies, careers and everyday lives.

Nazri said the programme strengthened collaboration among schools, higher education institutions, industry and strategic partners, providing young people with opportunities to gain experience and prepare for the future.

He added that participation from Malaysia and other countries had made the event more diverse and international.

Nazri hoped ISBMC would continue to grow as a platform for promoting innovation, STEM and TVET while developing young people who could contribute to Sarawak and the nation.