Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Government will strengthen strategic collaboration between the State Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (KPSTI) and the Sabah Labour Department (JTK) to develop a more skilled, competitive and industry-ready workforce, said State Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk James Ratib.
He said human capital development must remain a strategic State agenda, adding that Sabah's economic strength depends not only on physical development but also on a knowledgeable, skilled, innovative and ethical workforce, during a strategic discussion with 55 senior JTK Sabah officers representing the department's 251 personnel statewide on Tuesday.
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James said JTK Sabah plays a broader role beyond enforcing labour laws by guiding employers on compliance, protecting workers' rights, strengthening investor confidence and contributing to the State's economic growth while maintaining international labour standards through the Labour Inspection Convention.
He also proposed several initiatives, including the Work Ready Sabah programme, the introduction of a Labour Education Module under the Human Resource Development Department's training programmes, joint Training of Trainers (ToT) initiatives between KPSTI and JTK Sabah, and closer collaboration with industry through career fairs, industrial training and labour market data sharing.
James said the establishment of Sabah Skills Development Sdn Bhd (SSD) would provide more integrated coordination of skills development to maximise the value of government investment in workforce development, while expressing confidence that stronger cooperation among government agencies, training institutions and industry would produce a highly skilled and competitive Sabah workforce.
