TEGAS pushes TVET, STEM grads to become job creators

Datuk Len Talif Salleh. Photo credit: UKAS

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, April 6: Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Sarawak (TEGAS) is stepping up efforts to ensure graduates in technical and digital fields emerge not just as job seekers, but as job creators, by strengthening the State’s startup ecosystem.

Its chairman, Datuk Len Talif Salleh, said targeted platforms are being developed to empower youth in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as well as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to innovate and build their own ventures.

“This is why TEGAS, as a non-governmental agency fully funded by the Sarawak government, collaborates with agencies such as Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) and Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) to act as a catalyst for digital adoption and startup development centred on digital and technical education,” he was quoted as saying by Sarawak Public Communication Unit (UKAS) after flagging off the LCDA Sapphire Run 1.0 with the community at Padang Merdeka here today.

Len noted that TEGAS programmes are increasingly geared towards technical, vocational, and digital sectors to better equip Sarawakian youth for the demands of the new economy.

He added that the agency currently works with over 60 strategic partners from both public and private sectors to roll out initiatives that encourage idea generation, innovation, and the establishment of youth-led startups.

On infrastructure, he revealed that the development of the TEGAS Digital Village is being expanded to include supporting facilities such as hotels and lodges aimed at attracting digital nomads and strengthening the State’s digital ecosystem.

“The expansion is expected to be realised within the next two-and-a-half to three years, creating an integrated hub where local and international professionals can work, stay, and carry out daily activities in one comprehensive location,” he added. — DayakDaily