PETALING JAYA: With more students joining Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes nationwide this year, the government is taking steps to ensure graduates are equipped to meet industry needs while securing high-paying jobs, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Deputy Prime Minister said this will be vital to not only strengthen the capability of local skilled manpower, but also reduce reliance on foreign workers.
“Foreign direct investments into Malaysia should not involve workers from their own countries or elsewhere to serve as skilled labour here,” Ahmad Zahid said yesterday.
He said this after a roundtable discussion with government-linked companies (GLCs) and a government-linked investment company (GLIC).
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the National TVET Council chairman, revealed that the discussion resulted in five key decisions.
Among them was requesting GLCs and GLICs to identify the specific skill areas in demand to enable TVET institutions to better tailor courses and curriculum.
The other decision was for TVET courses to undergo consultation so they can receive accreditation from the Malaysian Qualifications Agency and Skills Development Department.
“The third decision was to introduce special TVET programmes for inmates and Narcotics Addiction Rehabilitation Centre (Puspen) residents.
“This is to ensure that they, too, can become skilled manpower for specific fields,” said Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Rural and Regional Development Minister.
He also revealed that TVET enrolment has increased by almost 10% this year with 436,000 students, an increase from 407,000 last year.
He said this excludes ongoing intake, with around 229,000 applications received from 76,000 applicants across 1,398 institutions.
He noted that the government has allocated RM8.7bil for TVET across 12 ministries, but expressed hope for more allocation.
“I hope Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will increase the budget for TVET next year,” he said.
The roundtable was held following a Cabinet decision on July 2 for GLCs and GLICs to play a more active role in providing training opportunities for TVET students.
“This step is important so that Malaysia’s TVET can transition from a government-driven model to an industry-driven model,” Ahmad Zahid added.
He said the session brought together 14 GLCs, one GLIC, five government agencies and eight TVET institutions.
Among those present were PETRONAS, Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, Telekom Malaysia, Tenaga Nasional Bhd and Malaysia Aviation Group, while Khazanah Nasional Bhd represented the GLIC.
Also in attendance were the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry and its agencies, including the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority.
Representatives from polytechnics, vocational colleges, Advanced Technology Training Centres, GiatMARA and Universiti DRB-HICOM also participated.
