Strengthening TVET To Break Cycle Of Unemployment Among Sabah Youth - Hajiji

KOTA KINABALU, July 9 (Bernama) -- The Sabah government fully supports efforts to strengthen the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ecosystem to ensure that Sabah’s youth remain competitive in the job market and are no longer trapped in the cycle of unemployment.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the establishment of the Sabah TVET Council in May this year marked an important paradigm shift in the state’s TVET development landscape.

“TVET can no longer be seen merely as an option. It must be embraced as a mainstream choice in efforts to produce a skilled workforce that can shape Sabah’s future.

“TVET not only equips individuals with technical skills, but also empowers them, creates job opportunities, and serves as a catalyst for the state’s economic growth,” he said at the opening ceremony of the Sabah TVET Symposium here today. The text of his speech was read by Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam.

Hajiji added that the state government recognises that technical and vocational skills form the backbone of Sabah’s development, particularly given its rich potential in natural resources, oil and gas, agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing.

“However, to sustain the growth of these sectors, we need highly skilled human capital that can meet the demands of Sabah’s increasingly vibrant industries.

“I also urge the youth to view TVET as a primary choice, not merely an alternative, when planning their future. TVET should be seen as a smart pathway that can produce future professionals, entrepreneurs, and innovators,” he said.

“Sabah’s youth must seize the opportunity to participate in TVET programmes, as the courses offered today are aligned with current job market demands, thereby ensuring the marketability of graduates,” he said.

Hajiji noted that in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) and the rapid wave of digitalisation, skills in technical fields, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI) have become highly valuable assets.

“If Sabah’s youth are not equipped with these skills, we risk being left behind in this wave of change. Therefore, TVET is the best platform to develop a highly skilled workforce that can drive Sabah’s progress,” he said.

He said that the state government’s commitment to human capital development is clearly reflected through various initiatives and strategic investments. The latest statistics indicate that Sabah’s unemployment rate has decreased from around 8.2 per cent in 2021 to 7.5 per cent in 2023.

“Although this rate remains higher than the national unemployment rate, the downward trend is encouraging and reflects the effectiveness of various economic and human capital development initiatives undertaken by the government,” he said.

However, Hajiji noted that data from the Department of Statistics showed that Sabah still faces challenges, with youth aged 15 to 24 accounting for more than half - 58.6 per cent - of the state’s total unemployed. Additionally, 55.8 per cent of unemployed individuals in Sabah possess only secondary school qualifications.

“These figures clearly show that many of our youths require skills training and further education to improve their employability,” he said.

In this regard, he said the symposium, themed ‘Sustainable TVET for the Future of Sabah’s Human Capital: An Integrated TVET Ecosystem’, is highly relevant to the current needs of Sabah.

Hajiji expressed hope that participants would take full advantage of the two-day symposium to foster stronger collaboration between educational institutions and industry players.

--BERNAMA