KUALA LUMPUR: Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students are more likely than their non-TVET peers to consider careers in agriculture, but are no more inclined to pursue modern agri-tech jobs, exposing a gap between Malaysia's agricultural transformation ambitions and the aspirations of its future workforce.
The finding comes from a new study by the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas), which says early exposure to agriculture in schools and stronger education pathways are key to attracting more young Malaysians into the sector.
These findings were published in Ideas' latest report, Youth Voices, Future Choices: Comparing Agriculture Aspirations, Perceptions, and Career Preferences Across Education Pathways in Malaysia, authored by Priya Kaur Sachdev, Prof Dr M. Niaz Asadullah, Dr Stewart Nixon and Naveen Mahasen.
The study surveyed 14,305 students aged 15 and 16 from 88 public secondary schools and vocational colleges nationwide to examine how different education pathways influence perceptions of agriculture and career aspirations.
It comes as Malaysia pushes to modernise its agricultural sector under initiatives including the 13th Malaysia Plan, the National Agrofood Policy 2021-2030, the Digital AgTech programme and the New Industrial Master Plan 2030.
Among the report's key findings was that studying agriculture-related subjects was one of the strongest predictors of interest in agricultural careers among both TVET and non-TVET students.
The study also found that while higher salaries remained the strongest incentive for choosing agricultural careers, TVET students placed greater emphasis on training and skills development opportunities.
Researchers noted that most students, including those from agricultural households, hoped to work outside their parents' economic sectors, suggesting agriculture needs to be repositioned as a modern and innovative career to attract younger generations.
Ideas research director and co-author Dr Stewart Nixon said Malaysia's agricultural transformation would depend not only on technological advancement but also on whether young people viewed the sector as an attractive career.
"Malaysia's agricultural transformation will depend not only on technology, but also on whether young Malaysians see agriculture as a modern, innovative, and rewarding career.
"Strengthening education pathways, expanding industry exposure, and equipping young people with future-ready skills will be key to building the talent pipeline needed to transform Malaysia's agricultural sector," he said in a statement on Thursday (July 30).
