TVET: Shaping Malaysian youth

Technical and Vocational Educational Training programmes are highly valued due to the provision of skill oriented education and labour market demand.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid, TVET is expected to provide essential skills addressing economic, social and environmental demands by aiding Malaysians develop the skills needed for better employability and entrepreneurial initiatives. These skills would pave the path to economic growth and support the transition towards environmentally-friendly solutions.

During the closing ceremony of the Asean Skills Competition (ASC) 2016 in Putrajaya, Zahid said “TVET has been regarded as the last option in education and career selection because of the public perception that the courses are for those who did not perform well academically. However, this perception is changing."

More governments in developed and industrialised countries around the world recognise the importance of TVET programmes and the contribution to economic growth in these countries where they have higher number of TVET students, according to Zahid.

He said Germany has 81% skilled workforce where 63% of them are graduates from vocational courses and only 18% come from universities. The government aims to have 35% highly skilled workforce by 2020 through the continuous implementation of the initiatives in the 11th Malaysia Plan. Moreover, he said Malaysia is looking forward in becoming an advanced and an inclusive nation through a knowledgeable and a highly-skilled human capital with high ethical standards.

The government hopes to see some 1.5 million jobs created by 2020 with 60% require TVET skills.