SANDAKAN: This Sabah east coast town will soon achieve another milestone in placing itself on the global map with the completion of a world-class training hotel in November.

The hotel is equipped with state-of-the-art demonstration and production kitchens, accommodation, food and beverage outlets and function rooms.

Local Government and Housing Ministry permanent secretary Datuk Matius Sator was briefed on the training hotel which will provide hands-on skills training to students and apprentices in the hospitality industry.

He was given a tour of the facilities at the BEST International Training Hotel at Bandar Samudera Elopura, Jalan Buli Sim Sim here on Monday.

The project is the first parcel of Phase 1 of the proposed mixed development project under the Sabah Development Corridor that is being implemented under a public-private sector partnership between the Sandakan Municipal Council and Pembangunan Samudera Sabah Sdn Bhd, a Sabah-based private corporation.

Matius, who was accompanied by Sabah Municipal Council president Datuk James Wong, said he was astonished with the development and urged the developer to continue with the good work.

"It is good to see the support and participation of a federal government agency such as Felda in efforts to uplift the living standards of the people of Sabah through human capital development," he said.

The training hotel has 36 apprentices who recently graduated from a Felda-sponsored programme and are now undergoing an 18-month programme that will award them upon completion, an internationally-recognised certificate in collaboration with ROC Zeeland, a well-established institution in the Netherlands.

Another 40 students, also under the Felda sponsorship programme from its sister company BEST International College in Bandar Sahabat, Lahad Datu, will join the apprentices for their training after Hari Raya.

Wong said MPS had not only been working closely with the developer to ensure the smooth and speedy implementation of the project, but was also involved in efforts initiated by the developer to help clean and beautify the neighbouring area of Kampung Forest.