JOHOR BARU – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri today announced the establishment of the Government-Industry TVET Coordination Body to support the government’s goal of making vocational and technical education (TVET) a top choice for youth for a promising career.
Ismail chaired a national TVET meeting via teleconferencing, attended by 13 ministers, as well as industry leaders, Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers representatives, academicians and student representatives.
He later said that the meeting saw an agreement being made over the implementation of a TVET Collaboration Hub involving 11 ministries, to be streamlined by the Ministry of Higher Education.
So far, 12 hubs have been identified. These comprise the automotive, semiconductor, marine, air-conditioning, aerospace, robotics, rails, telecommunications, hospitality, tourism and food technology industries.
“During the meeting, it was agreed on a policy level regarding a single (common) rating for TVET courses,” Ismail said in a statement, adding that discussions between ministries and industries need to be implemented before a presentation on the matter is made in the next round of meetings.
He added that the initiative would see the strengthening of the TVET ecosystem by connecting necessary parties to close the gap between demand and supply of skilled labour.
Ismail also said that it is high time TVET becomes the first choice for youth to prepare themselves for their future, given that TVET has been proven to churn out skilled individuals with an entrepreneurial flair.
“The Education Ministry has been asked to provide early exposure to the TVET education system to Form 1 students so that they can make choices based on their interest,” he said.
“Realising the importance of TVET, we agree to campaign, promote and rebrand to abolish perceptions that TVET is a form of second-class education.” – The Vibes, February 3, 2022
