From hands-on to ‘minds-on’

In the digital age, technology is a critical component in all sectors, including technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

Higher Education Ministry polytechnics and community colleges department director Dr Shamsuri Abdullah said while TVET places a lot of emphasis on learning skills through hands-on education, students also need to be “minds-on” as they work with technology in the classroom.

Shamsuri

“While craftsmanship is important, TVET needs to become more advanced due to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT).

“Our polytechnics and community colleges are now equipped with technology-enabled and collaborative classrooms that make new digital tools such as AI and virtual reality available to students,” he said.

This, he added, will give students the necessary exposure to AI and imaging technology. Through this, the ministry aims to develop students who are flexible, and fluent with technology, he said, adding that this will ensure talents are agile and ready to learn new things when they enter the workforce.

Polytechnics and community colleges, Shamsuri said, were set up by the ministry to provide both full certification or diploma programmes, as well as short professional and competency-based courses designed for lifelong learning for those already in the workforce.

“The lifelong learning programmes at community colleges serve as a powerful catalyst for social mobility, both uplifting and empowering local communities.

“It is meant to give access to society at large including single parents, the B40, tahfiz students, Orang Asli, and vulnerable communities,” he said, sharing how these courses are accredited by various professional bodies including the Board of Engineers Malaysia and Malaysia Board of Technology.

“We have also successfully ‘converted’ students who took the Arts & Humanities package in school to engineering and technology courses which require them to be competent in the sciences and mathematics,” he said, adding that there is also the APEL-A pathway for those with only work experience to obtain a diploma from polytechnics.

Although there are many TVET institutions handled by various other ministries, polytechnics were the first to be established for skills training, he said.

Politeknik Ungku Omar, Ipoh, he said, was set up in 1969 to train and produce skilled workers to be supervisors or semi-professionals to meet the needs of the nation in the engineering, commerce, technology and services sectors, he added.

Then in the year 2000, the government approved the establishment of community colleges which were designed to be lifelong learning hubs for the community.

Some 40% of post-Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) students who opted for TVET are in polytechnics and community colleges nationwide – that’s more than 100,000 of the TVET student population in Malaysia, he noted.

“This means that the majority of our TVET students are in polytechnics and community colleges.

“Meanwhile, the number SPM leavers who registered as polytechnic and community college students have also been rising steadily over the years from 38,000 in 2021 to 41,000 last year,” he said, sharing how the increase could be attributed to the government’s efforts to dispel the misconception that TVET is second class as compared to the academic pathway.

“Youth today are also mostly kinesthetic learners. They prefer hands-on learning rather than having to have their head buried in books all the time,” he said.

Azirin

Polytechnics and community colleges department (intake and student development section) director Azirin Abdul Aziz said these days, enrolling in TVET courses is much easier than before.

“Interested applicants can log in to the TVET Recruitment Unit (UP_TVET) portal which lists all programmes offered by the different ministries involved in skills training or they can apply through the ministry’s UPU Online portal for the June intake.

“They can also submit their applications via the myPolyCC portal for the January 2027 intake,” he said, while encouraging youth to explore the many TVET opportunities offered by the government.

Note: The Higher Education Ministry’s Politeknik Banting Selangor, Human Resources Ministry’s Advanced Technology Training Centre, ABM, Wisdec, Kolej Vokasional ERT Setapak and MTVET were participants of the Star Education Fair held on May 16 and 17 at IOI Grand Exhibition and Convention Centre, Putrajaya (see pics).