PETALING JAYA: Improvements to technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes in the agricultural sector will be carried out to accelerate youth development in the industry, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic).
The Deputy Prime Minister said this comes following the end of a two-day workshop organised by the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry which ended on Tuesday.
Ahmad Zahid, who is National TVET Council chairman, said the workshop, which brought together seven key ministries in the country’s TVET ecosystem, focused on coordinating agricultural TVET programmes across ministries to ensure more structured, integrated and high-impact implementation.
“It also addressed current challenges in the agricultural sector, particularly efforts to attract more youth to pursue agriculture as a viable future career,” he said in a press statement yesterday.
He added the workshop helped identify potential high-impact programmes and sustainable implementation models to ensure any government initiatives deliver beneficial returns for the country and the people.
“We also recognise the importance of strengthening strategic collaboration with industry players and expanding training placement opportunities to improve graduate employability.
“We have also placed emphasis on developing agropreneurship as a driver of a more innovative, competitive agricultural transformation that appeals to the younger generation.
“As such, we understand the need for a comprehensive agricultural sector transformation by leveraging technology, innovation and training approaches that are more responsive to industry needs,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid said findings and recommendations from the workshop will be presented at the upcoming TVET council meeting for consideration.
“I am confident that this more coordinated approach will enhance the effectiveness of agricultural TVET programmes and attract more youths into agriculture as a viable career, thereby improving the image and appeal of agricultural TVET,” he said.
