KOTA KINABALU: A four-day hackathon programme will be organised soon to increase the employability of Sabah's youth through technology.
This was made possible after the Sabah Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, Forest Interactive Foundation and Jawala Plantation Industries jointly signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) today.
The goal of the Bayu Hackathon programme is to increase employability and address community issues such as poverty and high unemployment rate, through technology.
Sabah Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Yakub Khan said the ministry's main objective is to foster creative and innovative culture in all walks of life.
"This is in line with our main vision to develop an intellectual and innovative generation through the advancement of science and technology, as well as a highly skilled human capital by 2030.
"We hope this collaboration will be a catalyst for more programmes in the future to contribute toward building a digital and technology-driven society, especially in servicing the communities in Sabah."
Forest Interactive founder and chief executive officer Johary Mustapha said they will continue to provide inclusive upskilling and learning programmes in the areas of tech to help bridge the digital divide and speed up Malaysia's digital economy.
Through the hackathon, the participants will gain experience in career profiling, pitching, networking and soft skills development through resume-building and grooming workshops, as well as industry sharing sessions.
At the end of the programme, the participants are expected to shape and recommend proactive solutions that can address local community issues as well as gain cash prizes through challenges presented throughout the hackathon.
Jawala Plantation Industries, a subsidiary company of Jawala Inc and the funder of the programme, is a forest resource company focusing on industrial tree plantations in Sabah.
The Mou was signed by the ministry's permanent secretary Zainudin Aman, Jawala Inc chief executive officer and executive director Rahman Khan and Johary at the ministry here.