Kuala lumpur: Student participation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes is currently at 53.9% and is projected to increase to 70% by the conclusion of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ahmad Zahid highlighted that this surge is propelled by high graduate employability rates and enhanced salary prospects, particularly benefiting students from rural areas. He noted a significant shift in educational preferences, with more secondary school leavers opting for TVET as their primary pathway for further studies. Enrollment numbers have grown from 190,000 three years ago to 439,000 students across 1,368 TVET institutions nationwide, marking a transformative change in the education ecosystem away from conventional pathways that emphasized the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) before university.
In his address at the Chit Chat MADANI programme at the Parliament building, Ahmad Zahid, who also serves as Minister of Rural and Regional Development, underscored the impressive employability rates for TVET graduates. The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) institutions reported a 98.7% employability rate, and the Construction Industry Development Board's (CIDB) Akademi Binaan Malaysia achieved a perfect 100% rate.
Despite the national minimum wage being RM1,700, graduates with the Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM) Level 3 under TVET earn premium salaries of approximately RM2,500. This highlights the government's focus on prioritizing TVET, especially for students in rural areas. Ahmad Zahid emphasized the government's commitment to making TVET a central component in transforming Malaysia's youth workforce ecosystem.
He further pointed out that the National TVET Council, which he chairs, has seen its budget increase from RM6.8 billion across 12 ministries to RM7.5 billion within a year. The allocation is set to rise to RM7.9 billion next year, as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, illustrating the government's serious commitment to advancing TVET.