PETALING JAYA: The success of technical and vocational education and training 2.0 (TVET 2.0) will depend on more than just additional funding, say stakeholders.
National TVET Council member and Belia Mahir president Mohammad Rizan Hassan said greater emphasis should be placed on the Place & Train model, where participants are hired first and trained according to employers’ needs, rather than the traditional approach of training before employment.
“At a time when industries are facing critical labour shortages, the Place & Train approach is far more practical. It can serve as a quick-win programme that delivers immediate benefits to both employers and job seekers,” he said.
Mohammad Rizan also called for stronger recognition of competency-based and industry-developed professional certifications alongside the Malaysian Skills Certification framework.
“What matters most is competency and the ability to perform according to industry standards, not the length of training,” he said.
“TVET 2.0 must become a model that is more responsive, flexible and industry-driven.”
Bumiputra Training Providers Consortium chairman Nordin Abdul Malek said the initiative’s success would hinge on clearer policies and stronger coordination among agencies involved in skills development.
“We support the government’s intention, but there must be clarity on what TVET 2.0 means and how it will be implemented,” he said.
Nordin noted that training providers continue to face bureaucratic hurdles and mismatches between accreditation requirements and funding priorities, leaving some critical programmes without financial support.
He said RM50mil is unlikely to be sufficient, particularly for private training providers already grappling with rising costs and funding constraints.
Small and Medium Enterprises Association president Datuk William Ng described the allocation as a useful catalyst but said its impact would be limited if spread too thinly across the SME sector.
“As a seed fund, it is a commendable step. But RM50mil is a drop in the ocean when viewed against the needs of the wider economy,” he said.
Ng suggested prioritising train-the-trainer programmes and shared training facilities that can benefit multiple SMEs instead of subsidising individual businesses.
