KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 53.9% of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) holders are now opting to pursue technical and vocational education and training (TVET), bringing the country closer to its target of 70% by the end of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the figure demonstrated that efforts to restructure the national education ecosystem towards high-skilled and technical fields were on the right track.
"By the end of the 13MP, we aim for 70% of SPM holders to be in the high-level TVET sector, and to date we have achieved 53.9%. This means we need only about a further 17% to reach the target," he said.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Rural and Regional Development Minister, said this when met by reporters after visiting Universiti Kuala Lumpur British Malaysian Institute (UniKL BMI) near here on Monday (Dec 15).
He said there are currently 439,000 TVET students nationwide enrolled in 1,398 institutions, a figure he described as significant in efforts to transform the national education landscape.
According to him, the 13MP target can be achieved through the continued efforts of UniKL and its faculties, as well as with the support of other TVET institutions, while still maintaining traditional courses for sectors that do not require high levels of expertise.
Meanwhile, UniKL BMI, in a statement, said that Ahmad Zahid's working visit reflects recognition of the institution's role as a leader in TVET human capital development, particularly in the electrical, electronics, semiconductor, telecommunications and electronic biomedical sectors.
During the visit, Ahmad Zahid also officiated the Sustainable Energy Living Lab (SELL) building, Malaysia's first net-zero/energy-plus facility, which is equipped with smart energy generation and management technology to support the country's energy transition agenda. - Bernama
