KUALA LUMPUR: Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is transforming Malaysia’s workforce, says Datuk Seri R. Ramanan (pic).
The Human Resources Minister said the government is repositioning TVET as the main pillar of the nation’s human capital strategy.
“Technical and vocational education and training is no longer a second option nor an alternative path.
“It is the main pillar of the country’s strategy for the development of workforce and economic resources,” he said at the 5-Star TVET Institute Awards yesterday.
Drawing from personal experience, Ramanan highlighted how the earning potential in skilled sectors has dramatically increased.
“When I graduated with an engineering degree in the early 2000s, my starting salary was RM1,980. Today, someone with the right skills in certain TVET sectors can start at RM16,000.”
He said the Advanced Technology Training Centre (ADTEC) as a model institution has a 95.5% graduate employability rate and 97.2% employer satisfaction rate.
Ramanan said the government is making large investments into TVET development, including RM100mil recently announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for high-skilled training programmes.
Under the 12th Malaysia Plan, 1,720 programmes across 597 TVET institutions were evaluated, with up to 98% achieving effective programme status, far exceeding the 70% national target.
Ramanan pointed to the urgency of adapting to rapid technological change, noting that basic digital literacy is no longer enough.
The minister urged Malaysians to embrace emerging fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), highlighting free AI training programmes set to benefit 22,000 participants nationwide.
“Go for TVET. It is about making ourselves better for tomorrow, better jobs, better income and better quality of life.
“The future of the country depends on the quality of the workforce we build today,” he said.
