The State Government, through Yayasan Sarawak, has established the Centre of Technical Excellence (CENTEXS) in October 2014 to undertake the call by the Governor of Sarawak Tun Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud and the late Pehin Sri Haji Adenan Bin Haji Satem, former Chief Minister of Sarawak to train more technical people that Sarawak needs to industrialize the economy. Therefore, CENTEXS as a wholly owned subsidiary of Yayasan Sarawak was given the responsibilities to train and upskill the young generation to meet the technical needs and requirements of the State industries focusing on the trade of oil and gas, Electrical & Port, Construction and Textile & Hospitality, and assisting CENTEXS graduates a career upon completion of their training.
CENTEXS has the history that dated back since 1973, formerly known as Pusat Latihan Pembangunan Belia (PLPB) and was administered by Yayasan Sarawak before transferred under Kementerian Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan, Sarawak from 1986 to 2011. CENTEXS has been transitioned under few State Departments before it officially became one of the units in the Chief Minister’s Department. PLPB was an accredited centre for programmes with ‘Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia’ under the Skills Development Department (JPK) and had produced many skilled and semi-skilled workers to the needs of the State’s industrial sectors.
From training-based to the current technical trades training centre, CENTEXS has trained 2755 youth throughout state. The unique feature of CENTEXS is that almost all its programmes offered international certifications and are developed in close consultation starting from the State government and direct involvement of industry players in assuring the relevancy of training to meet the demands of the industries and for job assurance. CENTEXS has expanded to Lundu, Dalat, Lawas and Betong. CENTEXS Mukah campus will start operation in 2021.
