KUCHING: Sarawak aims to produce 100 furniture designers by 2030 to boost the industry and achieve the export target of RM6 billion.
Sarawak Timber Industrial Development Corporation (STIDC) General Manager Hashim Bojet said the fresh Industrial Design graduates from Universiti Sarawak Malaysia (Unimas) will start their first one-year industrial training on furniture design at Samling Housing Products Sdn Bhd, Shin Yang Laminated Board Sdn Bhd in Miri, Brown Furniture and Giovanni Wood Industries Sdn Bhd in Kuching.
"After that, they will attend Pool of Young Designers (POYOD) training programme, their second year attachment with Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Bandung, Indonesia," he said.
The POYOD training programme he said was developed and implemented by STIDC in collaboration with Unimas and ITB, Bandung, Indonesia in line with the corporation’s vision to transform the industry and boost the growth of the furniture industry in Sarawak.
"As such, we will have talented and skilled designers readily available in the Sarawak furniture industry," he said in a statement here today.
The third batch of POYOD trainees had attended a briefing on Monday.
During the attachment, they will be trained through completion of projects targeting international exposures, he explained.
"Besides, this year, STIDC will participate in international furniture exhibitions in India and Dubai, UAE to promote furniture produced by the company based on designs created by POYOD.
STIDC hope that through our participation in these exhibitions it will be a breakthrough for Sarawak furniture internationally,” he added.