PUTRAJAYA: Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates may have something to look forward to in Budget 2027, with Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan suggesting that a positive announcement could be in store for them next month.
Speaking at the 17th Convocation of the Centre for Instructor and Advanced Skill Training (CIAST) here Tuesday (Sept 22), Ramanan declined to elaborate, saying the announcement should be made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
"The government will announce the Budget soon. I think many of the graduates here will be happy with what is in the Budget.
"But I am not announcing anything. KSU (secretary-general), please don’t be angry with me. The Prime Minister is the one who has to make the announcement. I am just giving you a little hint of what I have been told,” he said.
Budget 2027 is expected to be tabled by Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, on Oct 9.
On wages for highly skilled workers in the TVET sector, Ramanan said salaries in the field could now reach RM16,000, compared with about RM12,000 previously.
He said the trend reflected growing industry recognition of TVET graduates and was opening up greater opportunities for skilled workers to earn higher incomes.
"So it is going up. There is hope there. There are opportunities there. When I was studying, it was very difficult to get a starting salary of RM3,000. When I became an engineer, my starting salary was RM2,000, or even less than RM2,000. So, you have a very big opportunity. Take advantage of the opportunities available,” he said.
Ramanan said that when he was briefed early in his tenure, salaries in the TVET sector ranged from RM8,000 to RM12,000, with only a small proportion reaching the upper end of that range.
He said the increase demonstrated that TVET graduates had significant opportunities to build careers and earn better incomes in line with the growing needs of industry.
Ramanan also advised graduates not to be concerned about developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, saying the technologies did not mean that humans would lose their place in the workforce.
"Many people are wondering, when we look at what is happening in a world that is developing and advancing, ‘Will we have a place? Will we be able to get a job? Will we be replaced?’
"Actually, we do not need to worry at all. We have to keep up with the times and pursue what lies ahead,” he said.
He said people would still be needed to develop, programme and operate the technologies and automated systems increasingly being adopted by industry.
"There will always be a place for us. We can never be replaced. But if we fall behind, if we fall far behind, we will find it difficult to catch up,” he said.
He therefore urged TVET graduates to continuously upgrade their existing skills and acquire new ones to ensure their relevance in the job market.
The CIAST convocation saw 929 graduates from CIAST Shah Alam and the CIAST Satellite Campus (CSC) complete their training at diploma and advanced diploma levels. - Bernama
