Kuala lumpur: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today officially launched the GITC TVET Placement Centre (GTPC), the nation's first integrated national talent placement platform aimed at bridging the gap between industry and skilled talent.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the platform, launched in conjunction with the National TVET Day 2026 celebration, will serve as a structured ecosystem connecting students, graduates, institutions, and industry to facilitate industrial training, apprenticeships, and employment opportunities. The initiative reflects the government's commitment to positioning TVET as a primary pathway to quality employment, higher income, social mobility, and national economic competitiveness.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the National TVET Council chairman, emphasized that National TVET Day now symbolizes the central role of TVET in Malaysia's development agenda. However, he noted several structural challenges remain, including the mismatch between training programs and current industry technologies, low wage perceptions that stigmatize TVET careers, and gaps in instructor quality and training facilities that affect graduate readiness.
He announced that the launch of TVET 2.0 earlier today marked a new phase in efforts to create a more responsive and industry-driven TVET ecosystem. Ahmad Zahid called on industry players to assume greater responsibility in talent development by acting as co-investors through training opportunities, facilities, mentorship, and employment pathways.
Through GTPC, industry players can register talent requirements and offer industrial training placements, apprenticeships, and jobs, while students and graduates can build professional profiles, showcase competencies, and secure employment opportunities. The platform enables institutions to monitor student progress more effectively and strengthen collaboration with industry partners.
Ahmad Zahid emphasized the initiative's support for skills-based hiring practices by focusing on competencies, practical capabilities, and lifelong learning rather than academic qualifications alone. He also highlighted the role of the Government-Industry TVET Coordination Body (GITC) as a strategic bridge linking government agencies, industry players, and educational institutions to better align talent supply with workforce demand.
He urged GITC to evolve beyond its coordination role and become a catalyst for systemic change, particularly in high-growth sectors such as aerospace, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, renewable energy, cybersecurity, and robotics.