SANDAKAN, July 19 — Thousands of free courses and skills development activities will be offered to all Malaysians, regardless of age, in conjunction with the fourth edition of the National Training Week (NTW) 2026, which begins tomorrow.

The Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp), in a statement today, said the programme, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resources (Kesuma), aims to strengthen lifelong learning, and information can be accessed at www.nationaltrainingweek.gov.my.

The launch of the programme, themed ‘Pelajari, Alami, Kuasai’ (Learn, Experience, Master), was officiated by Deputy Minister of Human Resources Datuk Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan at the Sandakan Community Hall here last night.

“The NTW is not merey an annual programme, but serves as a national movement to instil a culture of lifelong learning among Malaysians,” Khairul Firdaus said when launching the programme.

He added that the selection of Sandakan as the launch venue recognises Sabah’s crucial role in the nation’s human capital agenda, with training opportunities made widely available to employees, entrepreneurs, gig workers, homemakers and retirees.

Among the contemporary courses offered are programmes on artificial intelligence (AI) prompting, digital marketing, AI animation, drone operations, autism support, language courses and vehicle maintenance.

HRD Corp chairman Datuk Rusli Jaafar said in the same statement that close collaboration with industry players and training institutions had enabled the free learning opportunities to be offered in an inclusive manner.

The fourth edition of this campaign also featured the presentation of special incentives to 149 top-performing 2025 SPM students from the Batu Sapi parliamentary constituency to encourage them to further improve their academic and career skills.

Visitors to the carnival also stand the chance to take part in various interactive activities, including knowledge-sharing sessions, career development advisory services and exhibitions by various training agencies.

The NTW 2026 roadshow will continue across the country before culminating in Penang on July 25 and 26.

A check of the programme’s portal found that the public can participate in the courses either online or at selected institutions, depending on the nature of the course. — Bernama