Kuala lumpur: Malaysia and China have strengthened their Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) cooperation through the Malaysia-China Industry-Education Alliance (MCIEA), which will channel nearly RM30 million in scholarships, training programmes and supporting initiatives.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also chairman of the National TVET Council Committee, said a total of 1,000 scholarship placements worth about RM18 million would be offered to Malaysian TVET graduates to pursue diploma-level studies in leading institutions in China.
He stated that 2,000 training opportunities worth more than RM10 million would also be provided through mobility programmes, upskilling, reskilling and train-the-trainer initiatives across high-value sectors.
"In addition, Chinese institutions and industries will contribute TVET training equipment worth nearly RM2 million to strengthen technology transfer, training capabilities, and industrial readiness in Malaysia," he added during his officiating speech at the Malaysia-China TVET Engagement Dinner 2026.
The initiatives, Ahmad Zahid highlighted, would provide Malaysian TVET graduates with international exposure, access to advanced technologies, and stronger pathways into high-growth industries.
He further noted that the collaboration would elevate the value of local talent while reinforcing institutions and supporting industries with a more future-ready workforce.
On MCIEA, launched during the event, he remarked that it would serve as a conduit linking Malaysian talent and industries with future-shaping technologies, fostering collaboration across artificial intelligence, robotics, smart manufacturing, electric vehicles, semiconductors, logistics, and digital technologies.
The alliance is also set to bolster industry-driven training, expand work-based learning, promote professional certification, and accelerate technology transfer between Malaysia and China.
"This is our shared ambition, to position Malaysia as a regional hub for TVET innovation and industry-education collaboration, supported by a stronger pipeline of future-ready talent," he said. Ahmad Zahid emphasized the importance of working closely with strategic partners such as China in developing talent, technology, and innovation, especially in the face of the rapidly evolving global economy.
He asserted that Malaysia's longstanding relationship with China, based on trade, investment, education, technology, and people-to-people exchanges, remains highly relevant and should be further strengthened, particularly in cultivating the skilled workforce necessary for future industries.
He concluded by stating that cooperation between nations should be evaluated not just by trade value or project numbers, but also by their ability to develop talent, nurture skills, and prepare people to adapt to change.
"China's experience has shown that when education, industry, and technology move together, a nation can achieve extraordinary progress," he said.