SPEAK registration drive to provide career guidance for workforce, says Sagah

BINTULU (Nov 1): Some 80,000 Sarawak students have registered for the Sistem Pesanan Kerjaya (SPEAK), a platform that provides the youths with up-to-date information on the latest training and study opportunities.

The SPEAK system is an initiative by the Talent Development Division of the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD), in collaboration with Sarawak Information Systems Sdn Bhd (Sains).

“This innovative platform aims to provide career guidance, particularly to the upper secondary school students in Form 4 to 6 across 194 secondary schools in Sarawak,” said minister Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn.

He said this in his officiating speech at the launch of the SPEAK system’s tutorial and training programme by Sains, at Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) here recently.

This training programme, he said, would equip the school’s counsellors and educators with the essential knowledge in providing career guidance that helps students identify career options and make informed decisions.

The programme is pivotal in shaping Sarawak’s future workforce and strong cooperations between the state and federal agencies, educational institutions, and industry leaders would lead to the programme’s success, he added.

“Together, we can create a future for our students, while equipping them with the skills and knowledge for today’s competitive job market,” he said.

MEITD, he remarked, is committed to enhance the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, to foster high academic achievement and innovation among students, upskill the educators, and raise public exam results.

Among the ministry’s education initiatives are the implementations of dual language programme, Raspberry Pi training, free tuitions under the Sarawak Education Enhance Programme, the STEM Trailblazer Sarawak programme, professional and skills development programmes for school leaders and teachers, as well as the distributions of free laptops and eBook vouchers.

Thus, Sagah called upon all stakeholders, educators, industry leaders, and parents to rally behind the SPEAK and the ministry’s educational initiatives.

Meanwhile, Petronas Sarawak senior manager Nor Azam Abang Zawawie remarked that this programme aligns with Petronas’ aims to spark interest, motivate and inspire educators and young Sarawakians in human capital development and knowledge acquisition.

“Petronas has been a strong advocate for education and supporting STEM is a critical part of our commitment to nurture future talents and drive innovation,” he said.