KUCHING: Some 100 Orang Ulu women are learning to become master weavers in a specialised training programme under the Sarawak Business Federation's (SBF) Recovery BizFund.

Organised by the Orang Ulu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OUCCI), a member of SBF, the weaving programme has been launched in Bario, Lawas, Sungai Asap, Tubau and Miri.

The training workshops, which are currently in progress, will take a month to complete.

SBF Recovery BizFund co-chair Anne Kung said the programme aimed to provide skills and training to participants in the five locations.

"We are hoping to train new weavers to become master artisans as well as entrepreneurs, in particular to help create a livelihood strategy from centuries-old traditions.

"Not to mention these crafts are functional and beautiful too," she said in a statement on Tuesday (Aug 22).

Kung, accompanied by OUCCI member Lohong Tajang and her team, visited the weaving workshops on Aug 16-18 to observe their progress.

Besides the weaving programme, she said the SBF Recovery BizFund offered more than 40 other courses to train and reskill its members.

The training programmes cover a wide range of skills including digitalisation, patisserie, hospitality and construction certification.

"We are happy to deliver specialised programmes to cater to the needs of the business community," Kung said.

To date, over 2,000 participants have been trained under the Recovery BizFund initiative.

The fund is a one-off RM20mil special grant allocated under the 2022 Sarawak budget for SBF and its affiliates to organise capacity-building and entrepreneur development programmes aimed at improving skills and retraining workers based on industry needs.