Eleven local tech talents have been welcomed by Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Sarawak (Tegas) to its Tegas Tech Immersion Programme(TTIP) 2023: Cohort 1.
They are Nurhaliza binti Munir (junior community executive for FutureLab), Nurhafeezah binti Ali (junior front end engineer for Borneo Digital), Prescilia Elsie anak Honchin (junior business development for Timogah), Siti Nazihah binti Rahman (junior web analyst for Timogah), Faiqah binti Jasmi (junior digital marketing for Timogah), A’isyah Basyirah binti Selbi (junior digital marketing for Blankskript Consultants), Nestren anak Anthony (junior digital marketing for Satok Bridge Digital), Jordan Salim (junior digital marketing for Satok Bridge Digital), Matt Jefferson anak Janting (junior web developer for ERMPlanet), Siti Hafizah binti Suaidi (junior business development for UAS Mapping), and Winnie anak Francis (junior business development for WAT Academy).
These participants had, during the selection period, gone through an EQ test and interviews with Tegas, ecosystem partners and programme alumni (startups and social enterprises). TTIP has been designed to offer local tech talents an end-to-end experience, from enhancing their existing skill sets, whilst expanding their mindset and experience through real-world projects, mentorship and training. The programme provides a tech skilling experience that connects tech talents more readily with new job opportunities.
TTIP seeks to empower unemployed and fresh graduates to jumpstart their career in the digital innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, in line with the Sarawak Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030. TEGAS through its TEGAS Digital Village and Digital Innovation Hub is partnering with Yayasan Peneraju Pendidikan Bumiputera (Yayasan Peneraju) for the 2023 cohort.
The programme runs from March to August 2023 in collaboration with Tegas ecosystem partners and programme alumni, namely FutureLab, ERMPlanet, Timogah, Satok Bridge Digital, Borneo Digital, Blanskript Consultants, UAS Mapping and WAT Academy. They will provide business and technical exposure and mentorship as well to empower participants with technology skills for employability.
“During the programme, participants will be in charge of projects such as improving the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) of a website, developing digital marketing strategies and campaigns as well as designing and developing new products. Participants will also have the opportunity to fully immerse themselves with the startup that they are working with by being in charge of implementing a project within the startup, which in return becomes an added value towards their professional growth as well as portfolio,” said Deputy Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh who is also Tegas Chairman.
“The benefits of the programme include a monthly allowance of RM 1,500, access to FutureLab online mentoring platform as well as access to Tegas Digital Village and Digital Innovation Hub in Kuching, Bintulu and Miri. We would like to thank our strategic partner, Yayasan Peneraju and all Tegas alumni as well as ecosystem partners for supporting this first of its kind residency programme in Sarawak. Our best wishes to all the participants for a successful journey ahead in the programme,” added Len.
TTIP was first introduced as a pilot programme in 2022. It gained the support from Yayasan Peneraju who became Tegas’ first strategic partner for the programme in 2023, while Yayasan Peneraju is an agency that has been mandated to increase the quality, quantity, and relevance of Bumiputera talents in a high-income economy through academic education, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), professional, technology, and specialist certifications funding programmes.
The programme is open to Sarawakian Bumiputera who are unemployed and fresh graduates with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.50 and above. Other criteria also require participants to be able to commit throughout the six months and be passionate about digital innovation and entrepreneurship.