Affiliations: Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak (SUTS), 93300 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia | Sarawak Information Systems (SAINS) Sdn. Bhd., Wisma Bapa Malaysia, Petra Jaya, 93502 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Abstract: This study evaluated the impacts of knowledge management practices on empowering rural youth for socio-economic benefits in Sarawak, Malaysia. An online survey was conducted with 41 rural youth who have participated in a six-month information and communication technology (ICT) training called the Rural ICT-Guided Home-based Technopreneur (RIGHT) program. The data from the survey were analysed using descriptive statistics and Fisher’s exact tests. The key findings include: (1) the respondents possessed basic computer and internet literacy skills; (2) the majority of the respondents reported an improved employment and earning status after they joined the RIGHT program; and (3) about 30% of the respondents provided ICT skills training and up to 88% of them provided ICT-related services to their community members. From the perspective of knowledge management practices, the findings indicate that: (1) ICT training program serves as a gateway for rural youth to empower themselves through knowledge acquisition; (2) the utilization of the newly acquired knowledge can improve the employment prospects of rural youth and facilitate their inclusion into the labour market; and (3) the sharing of knowledge via telecentres can improve the digital literacy skills and ICT-related services in rural communities. The barriers and challenges that affect the implementation of the knowledge management activities were also investigated in this study. The overall findings suggest that knowledge management can be used as a tool to promote the use, adoption and diffusion of ICTs and facilitate the socio-economic growth of rural communities in developing countries, including Malaysia.
Keywords: Digital divide, information and communication technology, knowledge management, rural areas, socio-economic, training
