TASEK GELUGOR: The federal government will continue efforts to expand technical and vocational education and training (TVET) for teenagers, especially school drop-outs so that they can have a second chance in their life.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said this was in line with the government’s target to increase the number of Malaysian workforce in the technical and vocational fields to over 60 per cent by the year 2020.
He said some teenagers decided to leave the school because they were either not interested and did not do well in mainstream academic.
As such as, he said it was crucial for the government to ensure that there were adequate TVET (institutions) for teenagers to enroll in technical training programmes.
“There are many vocational and technical training institutions available and the government has taken the efforts to upgrade technical training as a mainstream education.”
“The demand for technical and vocational workforce is high as Malaysia is attracting more high-tech investments.
“We must make sure that we produce ample supply of talents,” he said said at a press conference after opening Chef@Kampung’ programme organised by the Tasek Gelugor Community College here yesterday.
Present was Tasek Gelugor Community College director Wan Khairul Faizi Wan Mahmid.
Citing an example, he said the Higher Education Ministry had brought down the minimum SPM qualification to apply for the Community College from three subjects to one subject beginning this July intake.
Community Colleges offer a range of technical and vocational programmes between six months and two years.
Nor Mohamed, who is also the Tasek Gelugor member of parliament, said apart from the technical institutions under the Higher Education Ministry and other government agencies, the government was also playing supportive role through the Yayasan Peneraju Pendidikan Bumiputera.
He said the foundation had recently started a technical and vocational training programme for school drop-outs under the Peneraju Tunas Iltizam scholarship programme.
He added that the foundation was recruiting 100 SPM and STPM leavers from families earning less than RM3,000 per month for the pilot project.
Successful applicants will undergo a motivational module, three months training and nine months industrial attachment, followed by performance supervision for every six months until the third year.
Each of the trainees will receive scholarship worth RM21,000 for the three-year programme. The application is open for Bumiputera youths aged between 17 and 19 years.
Those interested can visit www.penerajuedu.com for further information.
Nor Mohamed said the pilot project would start this June at the Malaysian Technology Park and several training institutions in the Klang Valley.
Source: NST Online – 18th March 2013
Comment: If you have the budget, you may also choose to study TVET courses at private institutions, which are often located at more strategic locations.
You may also find that some of the courses that you are interested in are not available at govt institutions.
And if Malay language is a barrier, there are some private institutions (such as this auto academy in Muar) that offers them in Mandarin and/or English.
