‘Our students are industry-ready’

Zulkernai Fauzi, Education Ministry’s Technical Vocational Education and Training Division (BPLTV) director.

WHAT is in the construction industry is what we teach our students, assures Zulkernai Fauzi (pic).

This is very important so that when students enter the job market, they are ready for industry demands, said the Education Ministry’s Technical Vocational Education and Training Division (BPLTV) director.

He added that efforts have been ongoing to provide continuous training and expertise to teaching staff and students at the ministry’s institutions offering technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes, namely, vocational colleges (KV), technical secondary schools (SMT) and national secondary schools (SMK).

“Teachers are sent to the industry locally to observe new technologies, with some going abroad to undertake courses.

“After they complete the courses, they come back and conduct workshops with other teachers, who will then teach our students,” he told StarEdu.

He noted that the ministry offers various industrial machining programmes that align with the needs of Industry 4.0, which is centred on automatic systems and the Internet of things.

“We also collaborate with the industry and the private sector to provide additional courses, such as coding and robotics, so our students earn professional certificates that add value,” he said.

Zulkernai was commenting on TalentCorp’s Critical Occupations List (MyCOL) 2022/2023 report, which stated that learning institutions had fallen behind in adapting to rapid industry developments and technological advancements, resulting in a mismatch between the skills taught to graduates and the skills required in the job market.

The report also said the construction industry lacks skilled professionals with expertise in areas such as machine learning, automation and data analysis.

Citing KV as an example, Zulkernai said all 10 fields, including construction, offered in these institutions are linked with industry.

“We have a TVET ministry-industry relations committee, where the industry provides input to the ministry, so that students will add quality value and increase their interest in the field, and the ministry will then expand its programme capacity.

“For construction, we link with the Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM). This association works with KV on curriculum, programmes, professional development, training for teaching staff, the latest technology, and providing our students with on-the-job training,” he shared.

Zulkernai added that students are also taught soft skills to instil manners, morals and integrity so that they become good employees who contribute to a harmonious workplace atmosphere in the future.

He also highlighted that the ministry is the only TVET provider that offers these programmes to students after Form Three – an initiative that began this year – compared to other providers that offer them at the post-secondary level.

“And starting this year, we opened up space for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) graduates to continue their studies at KV at the diploma level,” he said.