Kuala lumpur: Malaysia’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) reforms have significantly increased graduate employability to 95.1 percent, with over 430,000 students currently enrolled across the nation, announced Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ahmad Zahid, who also chairs the National TVET Council (MTVET), highlighted that 53.56 percent of the country’s secondary school graduates in 2024 opted for TVET as their primary choice, indicating a notable shift in educational preferences. He emphasized the importance of his role in advancing TVET initiatives upon being appointed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in 2023, during his speech at the ASEAN TVET Conference (ATVET) 2025 at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur.
The reforms focus on unifying 12 ministries under a single vision, aligning skills training with market needs, and ensuring no community is excluded. This comprehensive approach has led to the creation of the National TVET Policy 2030, the TVET Big Data System, the TVET MADANI Portal, and the UP_TVET application system, which connects students to opportunities across various ministries.
Malaysia has also introduced new certification levels comparable to higher education qualifications and extended minimum wage coverage to semi-skilled and TVET graduates under MASCO Code 8 and above. Ahmad Zahid shared transformative stories of individuals benefiting from these changes, such as a fisherman’s son becoming a drone technician and an Orang Asli daughter leading solar installations in her village.
As Minister of Rural and Regional Development, Ahmad Zahid noted that the Prime Minister has prioritized TVET in the 13th Malaysia Plan to support high-growth sectors like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and the digital economy. TVET is being integrated into strategic industrial zones, including the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and Kulim Hi-Tech Park, to align skills supply with investment demands.
The goal is to position Malaysia among the top 20 in the Global Innovation Index and create 1.2 million high-value jobs in manufacturing and the digital economy within five years. Malaysia is also enhancing its global TVET agenda through initiatives such as industrial placements in China, collaboration with the Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI in Abu Dhabi, and skills exchanges with Japan, Germany, and Australia.
Ahmad Zahid proposed establishing an ASEAN TVET Certification and Excellence Hub to set benchmarks, ensure mutual recognition, and promote skilled worker mobility across borders. He stressed the importance of enduring policies, effective partnerships, and transformative actions to realize these goals.
The ATVET 2025 conference, themed “Advancing Digital and Green Transformations through an Inclusive and Future-Ready TVET System,” gathers over 1,500 delegates for discussions on advancing TVET as a driver of inclusive digital and green transitions in ASEAN. It is jointly organized by the Human Resource Development Corporation and the Skills Development Fund Corporation Malaysia, featuring 23 speakers and participants from various sectors.