KUCHING: Nearly 30 aerospace engineering students are among the Sarawakian undergraduates pursuing their studies under the state's Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES), says Datuk Seri Roland Sagah.
The state Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister said they were enrolled at i-CATS University College, a state-owned institution with an aerospace faculty.
"At i-CATS, we have 28 students in aerospace engineering. But there are more students under FTES at i-CATS, which also offers other eligible courses, mainly related to science and engineering, as well as finance, accountancy and psychology," he told reporters after closing the Asia Pacific Aerospace Conference and Exhibition (APACE) 2026 here on Thursday (Jan 29).
Sagah said about 5,000 Sarawakian students, including those in their second or third year, would benefit from FTES this year.
However, he said existing students who already have scholarships would not come under FTES to prevent overlap.
"So far we have not heard any reports of anyone rejecting FTES," he added.
FTES was introduced this year for Sarawakian students pursuing 64 approved undergraduate degree programmes at state-owned institutions.
Besides i-CATS, the institutions are Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, Curtin University Malaysia and University of Technology Sarawak.
Sagah said education and skills training were vital for Sarawak to develop its own aerospace industry.
He said the state was on the right track, with trainees in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) graduating from a local institution next month.
"We are creating an environment whereby we will have people who are not only educated in aerospace but will sharpen their talent through training and upskilling," he said.
In his speech earlier, Sagah said Sarawak was focused on strengthening STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education in schools as the foundation for developing aerospace talent.
"Through school programmes, competitions, industry talks and exposure initiatives like APACE 2026, we aim to inspire students to see aerospace as a real and achievable career pathway," he said.
Sagah added that Sarawak was strengthening collaboration between government, industry and educational institutions to ensure that education and training were closely aligned with industry needs.
He said local education and training institutions were encouraged to work with aerospace companies to develop programmes and syllabus, provide hands-on training, embed industry certifications into academic pathways and facilitate joint research and applied innovation.
"This approach ensures that graduates are not only academically qualified but industry-ready," he said.
