The Manpower Department under MOHR signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) during the 2019 China-ASEAN Vocational Education Exhibition and Forum.
The MoU will be a concrete platform for both countries to share knowledge and expertise through the exchange programmes. Considering China’s rapid advancement particularly in IR4.0 technologies, Malaysia hope to learn and tap on China’s technologies; especially in areas which China has distinct advantages.
Minister of Human Resources M Kula Segaran who was present explained that one major challenge was meeting the requirement of new technologies associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0), as well as embedding the TVET curriculum with soft skills relevant to IR4.0. The Ministry aspires to train the future skilled workforce that are competent in technologies associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4).
Some of the key technologies that are frequently associated with IR4 are Artificial Intelligence (A.I), robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), and additive manufacturing or 3D printing. Considering China’s rapid advancement particularly in IR4 technologies, it makes sense for Malaysia to learn from China in some of the areas that China has a distinct advantage.
Underlining the importance of International collaboration, the Minister also said ASEAN and China could work together to uplift the standard and quality of TVET education through the sharing of best practices, expertise, knowledge and joint research.
Even within ASEAN, we should come up with a common standard as a regional benchmark to harmonise TVET education.
He said MoHR puts a strong emphasis on the importance of international cooperation in TVET either at bilateral or multilateral levels. We recognize the importance of having China as a strategic partner in TVET.
The ministry also values the engagement and support of all the key stakeholders for making TVET a success story that will yield great benefits for Malaysia and any international collaborators.
Prepared by: Ministry of Human Resources 25 September 2019
Comment: It’s not only the Germans or Americans that we learn IR4.0 from, advanced Asian countries like Japan & China are equally strong in these areas. It’s good that our country is open to collaborate with any countries that are more advanced than us in these areas.
Watch the video at Astro Awani‘s FB Page on Shared Prosperity Vision
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the move was important to “upskill” the people to be more capable and efficient, and be able to do more “sophisticated work”. – NSTP/MOHD FADLI HAMZAH
PUTRAJAYA: The government will place priority on technical and vocational education and training (TVET), in efforts to increase the people’s income, under the Shared Prosperity Vision.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the move was important to “upskill” the people to be more capable and efficient, and be able to do more “sophisticated work”.
“The income gap between the rich and poor is too wide so we need to increase the people’s income.
“But we don’t want to do this by just increasing wages but (we want) to improve their capacity so that they are more productive, and give them training so that they are more capable and efficient.
“For example, we are already in the aerospace industry, and even some parts of airplane engines assembly are being done in Malaysia.” he said this after chairing a special cabinet meeting on the Shared Prosperity Vision here, yesterday.
Dr Mahathir said the cabinet has agreed that TVET played an important role in improving the skills of workers and that training must be made a priority.
“Our (2020) Budget would prioritise such areas. If there is not enough money for all, we would have to lessen the budget for other areas with lesser priority,” he added.
Dr Mahathir said the government would also give focus to poorer states, reducing wealth disparities from richer states.
He listed Kelantan, Perlis and Kedah as among the three poorest states in Malaysia.
“Another gap is between the urban and rural areas, where those living in urban areas are richer than those staying in the rural areas.
“So a programme must be created to increase the income of those living in the rural areas,” Dr Mahathir added.
In explaining further, Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said the government would apply the spirit of shared prosperity in the 2020 Budget, and prioritise sectors such as TVET and skills training.
“This will be given consideration by the Finance Ministry to be refined in the 2020 Budget.”
The Shared Prosperity Vision was announced by Dr Mahathir at the tabling of the mid-term review of the 11th Malaysia Plan in October 2018 in Parliament.
Its framework was also explained by the prime minister in his May 9 speech earlier this year in conjunction with Pakatan Harapan’s one year in government.
The Shared Prosperity Vision will encompass the 12th and 13th Malaysia Plans, spanning 10 years from 2021 to 2031.
Comment: Not sure how the government is going to prioritise the TVET sector. As Tun M mentioned that if budget is insufficient for all, then it has to be channeled to the priority sectors. So I would assume that more funds are to be allocated to the sector, such as more funds to PTPK to loan students, especially from the B40, which are mainly from rural areas & also the urban poor. Hopefully this would then enhance this group’s earning capability and reduce the income gap. For the benefit/knowledge of those outside TVET industry, insufficient PTPK loan in the past 1-2 years has caused many students (esp B40 group) that is interested to pursue TVET courses unable to continue their studies at private & government TVET institutions. This has an economic & social impact:
1. Economic Effect on TVET institutions – With the limited quota provided to TVET institutions, especially the private ones, many has folded up or ready for sale as they couldn’t sustain the business due to over-reliance on loan to recruit students.
Effect on TVET trainers & supporting staffs – These trainers who have SKM in their field and Vocational Training Operation (especially those that do not have industry experience but fresh from TVET institutions like CIAST) would probably be now jobless or work in non-related field that pays them nothing more than a SPM school leaver’s qualification.
Effect on students – As the students who may not even have SPM or poor SPM results, they have no where to upgrade themselves or learn a skills to uplift their economic livelihood.
2. Social Since the students are not able to further their studies, they may have high probability of being unemployed or worse still, involved in petty crimes, become Mat Rempit, drug addicts, gangsterism and other illegal activities.
TVET training and qualifications are looked down upon by many Sarawak parents as being inferior to academic qualifications. (Bernama pic)
KUCHING: Sarawakians do not have high regard for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) qualifications, a state minister said today.
State Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Michael Manyin said TVET training and qualifications were looked down upon by parents as being inferior to academic qualifications.
School leavers also did not place much value on TVET training, he said during the closing ceremony of Worldskill Malaysia Sarawak 2019.
“Every year, Sarawak has between 35,000 and 38,000 school leavers with SPM qualifications and of these only about 20,000 to 25,000 further their studies in tertiary institutions or do skills training in TVET institutions.
Michael Manyin.
“Between 10,000 and 15,000 of these SPM school leavers do not undertake any further studies or training and enter directly into the job market often doing jobs that pay low wages and have little prospect for advancement,” he said.
Manyin said even though there was a huge demand for skilled workers and there were institutions offering courses in these trades, most of them were either under enrolled or had no takers.
Therefore, he said, it was the state education, science and technological research ministry’s main agenda to promote TVET and skills training as an equally attractive career development pathway.
Among the initiatives taken were through the Sarawak career and training fair, TVET symposium and TVET camps.
Another key programme by his ministry to raise the status of TVET was through the Worldskill Malaysia Sarawak competition, which is organised once in two years, he said.
The Worldskill Malaysia Sarawak was held to recognise and acknowledge the skills and competencies of Sarawak’s youths and to raise awareness about the value of vocational education and training as well as careers for those with skills training.
Comment: Well, not only Sarawakians look down on TVET, it’s the society in general, not limited to Malaysia but other developing countries as well. Not easy to change the social stigma of the public as it’s been drilled in most parents mind that TVET is only for dropouts & those who are academically poor. And perhaps some jobs are deemed to be 3D (dangerous, dirty & difficult) (eg motor mechanics, underwater welding, electrician, construction worker etc).
But with so many academic graduates coming out jobless & statistics showing that TVET graduates are highly employable (>90%), don’t you think that you as either parents or students should give TVET courses & jobs a second look or maybe even the 1st choice, if your interest is, in baking, sewing, woodworking, repairing cars etc?
And now TVET graduates are given the opportunity to even further study to university level with the offering of Bachelor of Technology programs by members of Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN) or management related degrees to enable TVET/skill graduates to graduate into management level. Don’t you agree that if you have hard (technical) & soft (management, communication, entrepreneurship) skills, you would be even better that those academic graduates who are mainly only good in non-technical skills?
MALAYSIA needs “new collar” employees or individuals with technical, vocational and soft skills to fulfil industry demands, said Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran (picture). He said such jobs are imperative to the country in order to achieve its goal as a high-income nation by 2020.
“These skills do not require tertiary education, but the technical and vocational education and training (TVET),” he said in a statement yesterday.
He said the need for new collar jobs came after the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) concluded its eighth meeting this year.
TVET is one of the key components in the 10th Malaysia Plan. It is the primary force of the government’s aspiration to raise the percentage of skilled workers in the country to 35% in 2020 from the current 28%.
However, it was highlighted last month that while 92% of TVET graduates are able to obtain employment after graduation, about 70% of them earn less than RM1,500 per month.
Since its first meeting in January this year, NLAC has deliberated on various important issues pertaining to labour and human resources. These include the proposed amendments to labour laws, the national human resources policy framework and the code of conduct for industrial harmony.
NLAC has also established technical committees on labour laws reform and other issues such as future of work.
“I am pleased to note that our efforts in the technical committees have been fruitful. For example, the good work of the technical committee paved the way for the Parliament to pass the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities (Amendment) Bill 2019 recently,” said Kulasegaran.
Meanwhile, the Human Resources Ministry has taken note of the Malaysian Trade Union Congress’ (MTUC) request for details of the Integrated Foreign Workers Management Systems’ enhanced system to be tabled in the NLAC meeting for collective deliberation.
The MTUC also welcomed the ministry’s proposal to incorporate the Code of Conduct of Industrial Harmony into the regulations of the Industrial Relations Act 1967, said Kulasegaran.
Earlier in the meeting, the NLAC was briefed about the study tour to Australia’s Fair Work Commission, Fair Work Ombudsman and the Federal Court in Melbourne, Australia, on employment and industrial relations issues. The ninth NLAC meeting is expected to be held on Sept 27.
The ministry, in collaboration with the Finance Ministry, will hold a Budget 2020 focus group meeting on enhancing employee welfare and employment opportunities next week.
NLAC members representing employers and employees have been invited to attend the focus group meeting for their input and feedback on the subject matter.
SUNGAI BULOH: Daikin Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Daikin Malaysia) menyasarkan untuk melatih seramai 3,000 juruteknik melalui pelaksanaan program pembangunan sumber manusianya iaitu Air-Conditioner Certified Technician (ACCT) menjelang 2020.
Program yang dijalinkan melalui kerjasama Jabatan Tenaga Manusia (JTM) itu bertujuan bagi meningkatkan kemahiran dan kecekapan juruteknik dalam industri penyejukbekuan dan penyaman udara.
Ketua Pegawai Operasi Daikin Malaysia, Ooi Cheng Suan berkata, pelaburan terhadap sumber manusia adalah penting bagi syarikat di samping pelaburan terhadap kemudahan dan fasiliti tempat latihan.
Menurutnya, Daikin Malaysia mengamalkan falsafah Pengurusan Individu Berpusat (PCM) iaitu satu prinsip kepimpinan yang mempercayai kumulatif pembangunan setiap individu dalam sesebuah syarikat adalah asas kepada pembangunan bagi syarikat terbabit.
“Kami percaya usaha untuk memperkenalkan program ini adalah wajar bagi menaik taraf kualiti servis dalam industri terutama untuk pengguna jenama Daikin,” katanya pada majlis menandatangani memorandum perjanjian (MoA) dengan JTM di sini, semalam.
Hadir sama adalah Menteri Sumber Manusia, M Kulasegaran, Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Sumber Manusia, Datuk Muhd Khair Razman Mohamed Anuar, Ketua Pengarah JTM, Sutekno Ahmad Belon dan Ketua Eksekutif Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Bhd (PSMB), Elanjelian Venugopal.
Selain MoA, Daikin Malaysia turut menandatangani memorandum persefahaman dengan JTM dan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Bhd (PSMB) bagi menyediakan yuran penyertaan program yang berjumlah hanya RM190 berbanding RM900 jumlah yuran asal berikutan pemberian subsidi yang diberikan kepada bakal pelatih.
Komen: Kerjasama industri & pusat latihan awam sebegini memang patut dipuji, digalakkan & dijadikan contoh kepada industri/syarikat swasta yang lain. Dalam penyediaan Rancangan Malaysia ke-12 (RMK 12), kumpulan fokus TVET juga berpendapat latihan praktikal/industri yang diterajui oleh industri atau bertempat di kilang/premis industri adalah amat penting dan lebih berhasil berbanding dengan latihan sekadar di institusi latihan sahaja.
(From left) Siemens German senior director of foreign sales automation factory Sascha Maenni and Siemens senior vice president and head of digital industries Adam Yee at the Letter of Intent signing ceremony with UniMAP deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International) Professor Dr Rezuwan Kamaruddin (second from right) and UniMAP dean, Faculty of Engineering Technology Associate Professor Dr Abu Hassan Abdullah (right).
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) diploma holders can now pursue their studies in a new bachelor’s degree program at four universities under the Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN).
The Bachelor of Technology (Hons) Degree in Industrial Electronic Automation was introduced at the Letter of Intent (LoI) signing ceremony between Siemens Malaysia and MTUN — Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) and Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) recently.
The LoI is a precursor to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will be signed later in October.
UniMAP deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International) Professor Dr Rezuwan Kamaruddin said that the degree program will provide a path for TVET diploma holders to gain higher academic recognition.
“This is also a platform to produce a highly competent workforce and enhance the students’ skill sets in the future,” he said.ADVERTISING
Siemens Malaysia senior vice president and head of digital industries Adam Yee said that the new degree aims to produce fresh graduates specialised in the roles of system integration.
“It is a truly one-of-a-kind industry-academia collaboration in which the graduates will not only receive their Honours degree certificates but also a professional training qualification from Siemens, which will greatly aid in employment opportunities and careers within different organisations and the industry.
“We will ensure that the resources and training provided are fully sufficient and sustainable so that the universities can do their best in the course delivery,” he said.
According to Yee, in order for the industry to support education, the cooperation with partners in the education sector is highly essential.
“The road to Industry 4.0 is only possible with digitalisation and for that, this requires quality education that is industry-adaptive and skilled human resource.
“In fact, this Bachelor’s degree course is an extension of yet another initiative from our original SITRAIN – Digital Industry Academy program, which was first launched in 2012 when we realise the need to customise training in order to address existing skills gap between the system integrator and end users.
“Being a strong supporter of TVET as a mandatory criterion in the industry infrastructure, we have also established our Siemens Innovative and Resources Training Centre (SIRTC) which encompasses several labs that have been developed for the Industrial Revolution 4.0,” he added.
The degree program will see Siemens’ Total Integrated Automation modules being taught across different disciplines as the syllabus has been co-developed between Siemens Malaysia and the universities.
UTHM deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International) Professor Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman said that there will also be a two-way Training of Trainers to further reinforce the curriculum.
“Siemens will help to train our lecturer in terms of practical knowledge. At the same time, our lecturers will also provide trainings for Siemens in pedagogical area to ease the process of teaching and learning,” he continued.
UniMAP Faculty of Engineering Technology (Electronic Department) lecturer Ahmad Nasir Che Rosli who has been involved in jointly devising and curating this new program said this collaboration will open up opportunities for the MTUN students to undergo Industrial Attachment with Siemens partners and customers.
“The involvement of industries in developing the curriculum has been very encouraging. We will have a series of workshop and meeting be it at MTUN level or the university level itself,” he said.
Also present at the LoI signing ceremony were representatives from MTUN.
UniMAP and UTHM will be welcoming their new intake of students for this program on September 1 while UTeM and UMP will follow thereafter.
Comments: It’s not just Bachelor of Technology (Hons), TVET or SKM graduates can soon be able to further their qualifications & enable them to rise beyond just a technician, to be in the management level (manager, senior manager, director etc) with management related diploma & degree. You may explore your options here with Unirazak & express your interest by filling up the form if you’re interested to know further.
KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 1): The Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN) and Siemens Malaysia have inked a landmark collaboration that is set to prepare university graduates for the eventual world of systems integration.
MTUN and Siemens signed a letter of intent today as a symbolic significance that is meant to be a precursor to the memorandum of understanding agreement to be inked later in October.
In a statement today, Siemens said following this letter of intent, a new degree program called the Bachelor of Technology (Hons) Degree in Industrial Electronic Automation will be launched, with the first intake of students to be enrolled on Sept 1.
MTUN is an umbrella network of four universities, namely Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), and Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP).
Siemens said ths collaboration is divided into two phases, with the first phase of student enrolment undertaken by UniMAP and UTHM as official pioneers to the start of the course.
It said UniMAP and UTHM will have 30 students each for this September intake, while Phase 2 will follow suit at a later stage for the two other institutions, namely UTeM and UMP.
This industry-education partnership for both MTUN and Siemens marks the first-of-its-kind cooperation that is rare even within the sector, embedding industrial training and software learning into the academic curriculum throughout the student’s degree over 3½ years.
It will see Siemens’ Total Integrated Automation modules being taught across the different disciplines for the syllabus which has been co-developed between Siemens Malaysia and the respective university.
During this time, industrial training will be provided for 1½ years and the two remaining years will be for classroom learning.
Upon graduation, students will be able to earn not just their Honors degree from a locally accredited university but also a professional certification from Siemens as qualified and versatile system integrators.
Siemens Malaysia senior vice president and head of digital industries Adam Yee said the launch of the Bachelor’s degree program is a further extension of the firm’s continuous efforts to its existing Siemens Innovation and Resources Training Center (SITRAIN) program that has already produced many skilled graduates for the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) pipeline sustainability, and reaffirms Siemens as the nation’s preferred technology and education partner for TVET and industry 4.0.
Meanwhile, UniMAP Faculty of Engineering Technology (Electronic Department) lecturer Ahmad Nasir Che Rosli said this collaboration with Siemens Malaysia will open up opportunities for MTUN students to undergo industrial attachment with Siemens partners and customers.
“The involvement of industries in developing the Bachelor of Technology curriculum has been very encouraging. In fact, MTUN has always engaged with the industries right from the start of the development process. Our practice is to have a series of workshops and meetings organized together, be it at MTUN level or the university level itself,” he said.
Source: www.theedgemarkets.coms
Comments: This is indeed a first of it’s kind and hopefully, more TVET industries would collaborate with TVET institutions, government or private, whether at certificate (SKM), diploma level (DKM) or advanced diploma (DLKM)
School leavers with the ambition of becoming professional drone pilots can soon take a course on Drone Piloting under a vocational programme at colleges and polytechnics around the country.
With the launch of this standard, vocational and private educational institutions can now offer Drone Piloting courses under the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme and be awarded the SKM (Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia) or a Malaysia Skills Certificate.
At the moment, several private organisations have been offering courses in various aspects of drone operation; for mapping, facilities inspection, progress report (for property developers and construction projects), film and drama production, news, the acquisition of aerial footage and photographs.
These courses last from two days (for basic operation of a drone) to a few days covering the various aspects of drone piloting for specific purposes such as mapping.
Before the launch of the NOSS Standard, formal government-recognised certification for drone piloting courses were not available for the aspiring pilot.
As the usage of drones expands, beyond a hobby to industrial use, the need for trained pilots who have gone through structured instructions based on an accepted and recognised national standards, become increasingly pressing.
Especially now that the word ‘drone’ appears in the media daily from all over the world; both negative and positive news.
But it is always the negative aspects that capture the public’s imagination and it is up to the industry to dispel negativity and myths that surround drones.
One positive effort is the adoption of formalised training for drone operators; people who not only know how to operate them safely within the limitations of each type of craft but who are also aware of the legal and regulatory requirements in the operation of drones.
Sometime in 2017, Malaysia Unmanned Drones Activist Society (MUDAS), a non-governmental organisation devoted to the development and advancement of drones in the country, initiated discussions with the Department of Skills Development or Jabatan Pembangunan Kemahiran (JPK) to develop a formal curriculum for the training of drone pilots under the vocational programmes of the many polytechnics and colleges spread throughout the country.
MUDAS is a non-governmental organisation devoted to the development and advancement of drones in the country.
L – R: Khairul Arriffin Aziz, CEO AECA Solutions William Alvisse, MUDAS Executive Secretary Mohd Noor Rahim, MUDAS Deputy Chairman, Hj Zaid bin Mat San, Deputy Director Curriculum Unit, NOSS (Photo by Haidar Abu Bakar)
The NGO has been in the forefront of promoting dialogue with government agencies that are involved in regulating and controlling the nation’s airspace, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), the Jabatan Ukur dan Pemetaan Negara (JUPEM), the survey and mapping department, which has traditionally been the authority overseeing aerial photography, especially mapping because of its implications on national security, and other organisations that have direct and indirect interests in the operation of ‘drones’.
“MUDAS initiated contact with JPK in late 2017 to moot the idea of drone pilot training under the National Occupational Skills Standard (NOSS) programme,” said Executive Secretary William Alvisse.
“In mid-2018 an expert panel was formed comprising of representatives from CAAM, Jupem and MCMC (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission) to create the current Curriculum,” Alvisse added.
Husni Faiz, a graduate of Electrical Power Engineering and a full-time pilot under BIP Studio and drone piloting trainer welcomes the NOSS Standards.
Husni Faiz, professional drone pilot and trainer
“It’s vital for those intending to be professional drone pilots undergo formal training such as the structure that is recommended in the NOSS standard.
“While recreational flyers may not need the entire course structure, it would be a good idea if parts or modules of that could be offered to training companies to train the hobbyists and recreational flyers,” he added.
Husni also trains pilots under his Akufly Academy.
“Having the NOSS training standard is good for the industry, said Kamarul A Muhamed, CEO of the Aerodyne Group.
Kamarul A Muhamed CEO Aerodyne Group
Aerodyne operates in 11 countries and is regarded as the premier drone services company, providing integrated managed solutions for the petroleum, civil engineering and facilities industry.
It employs 300 people, 1/3rd of whom are drone pilots.
“A structured drone piloting course will increase the level of competence and will lead to better safety and quality of operations,” he added.
Currently, Aerodyne trains its local pilots locally and in-house following the structure set by training schools in the UK and Australia where some of their pilots and trainers have been trained. The company then structure their training based on the training syllabus of these schools.
The Aerodyne pilots operating in their international markets are trained at authorised training schools for certifications should this be available in that particular country.
As a renowned global drone services company, recruitment isn’t an issue with many would-be pilots clamouring to join the group.
“The challenge, however, is in getting good technical pilots with the right mentality for enterprise-level work,” Kamarul said.
Kamarul lists technical ability, having a global mindset, the ability to communicate well and good and diligent in report writing, and problem-solving skills as the key factors he looks for in a candidate.
Drone Academy Asia provides training for drone operators and its graduates receive a “globally recognised DJI certificate”.
A representative of the academy said that they believe a formalised course structure is needed for the industry and that they are studying the NOSS standard and framework.
Located at the Cyberjaya Innovation Hub, Drone Academy offers courses in Aerial Mapping and Surveying, Precise Aerial Mapping and a Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) claimable Professional Drone Operator course.
The idea for a structured course, leading to certification is to produce well trained and competent workforce to meet the requirements of drone service companies to handle flights for mapping, facilities and structure monitoring, agriculture to name just three areas where drones are being increasingly used.
“There are two levels, Level 2 and 3 with 1,200 hours and 1,300 hours of training respectively,” said Alvisse.
“Upon completion of the training, candidates will be awarded an SKM (Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia) certificate,” Alvisse added.
“Just a word of caution though,” Kamarul said.
“In the long term drone piloting will be limited in requirements as the industry moves into pilotless autonomous operation.”
Which will then necessitate an overhaul of the training syllabus?
A key aspect of the skills mismatch is between academic qualifications and technical and vocational qualifications. Malaysia’s Education Blueprints emphasise technical and vocational education and training (TVET) as essential for the needs of the labour market and economy. However, only 13% of all upper secondary students are pursuing TVET courses, while at the higher education level less than 9% are in polytechnics. It has often been noted that students and their parents regard TVET as an inferior educational pathway, ‘dead end’ and for the academically challenged. But, in fact, according to the School to Work Transition Survey (SWTS), both young job seekers and young workers consider TVET as the most useful qualification for getting a good job—the reasons for the mismatch/misperception need to be addressed. For example, the salary differential could be an important reason; the SWTS found that there is a significant wage differential between TVET graduates and those with other types of hard skills.
Only 1% of all Chinese and 4% of Indian secondary school students are pursuing technical and vocational education as compared to 15% of Bumiputera students. Despite the government’s recognition of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) as critical to meet the demands of industry and contribute to economic growth, TVET is still not attractive as an education pathway choice. A number of reasons have been identified, including the fact that TVET graduates and practitioners are not recognised as professionals and, therefore are not able to demand higher wages and career advancement. Those from such schools also have limited access to higher education institutions (EPU (n.d., pp.9-4 to 9-7). TVET is often negatively perceived as the second or last choice and only ventured into by those who do not have good academic qualifications (Cheong and Lee (2016)).
To get a good job, the most useful qualification is professional… The students were asked about the education or training they consider most useful for getting a good job (Table 2.5).
All students, irrespective of ethnicity, gender or urban-rural location, prioritise professional qualifications. This view is clearly in line with their strong preference for professional occupations.
Overall, technical and vocational skills training is the next most important qualification, after professional qualification, to get a good job – this is striking in that it contrasts sharply with the relatively low attendance in TVET schools noted in Chart 2.3.
The secondary school students appear to be aware of the importance of TVET for the job market but would rather pursue an academic education. Chinese students do not find technical and vocational skills training to be particularly important (this may be linked to their relatively low attendance at TVET schools); they put more emphasis on internships and on-the-job training and also on business management degrees. In fact, all ethnic groups recognise the importance of apprenticeship training and work experience for getting a good job. This very likely reflects their perception that employers want to hire those with work experience and that a major reason why they do not easily get jobs upon completing their education is that they do not have practical experience.
Malaysian youth can pursue an academic pathway to acquire a higher education qualification or they have the option of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes that lead to the award of skills qualification (at certificate-Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia, diploma-Diploma Kemahiran Malaysia or advanced diploma-Diploma Lanjutan Kemahiran Malaysia levels). The TVET programmes are currently offered by various ministries, government agencies and private sector institutions, leading to unintended competition and duplication (MOE (2015, p.4-4)). Currently, there is a perception that TVET qualifications offer fewer attractive career and academic progression, thereby limiting the number of students who apply for such courses. The aim of the government, therefore, is to “move from a higher education system with a primary focus on university education as the sole pathway to success, to one where academic and TVET pathways are equally valued and cultivated” (Ibid., p.E-13. In addition, a TVET Masterplan is currently under study to develop skilled talent to meet the growing and changing demands of industry, promote individual opportunities for career development and ensure that the country has the skilled technical workforce it needs to reach high income status)
To get a good job, they consider TVET the most useful qualification… The job seekers, in particular the Bumiputeras and Others, identify TVET as most useful for getting a good job (Chart 4.20). This is striking when contrasted with the low ranking given to TVET by tertiary students (20% of job seekers as compared to 12% of tertiary students). It is also striking given that less than 5% of the job seekers have such qualifications (as shown earlier in Chart 4.3). The Chinese and Indian job seekers, on the other hand, feel that a professional qualification is most useful. Among all job seekers there is recognition of the usefulness of on-the-job training and apprenticeships; they recognise that work experience often counts in getting a job.
The salary range for new workers
Mean salaries offered for those with TVET qualifications are quite significantly below those for university graduates—which may help to shed light on why TVET qualifications are not popular among the young.
Employers from the public sector, public listed companies and also private contractors prefer undergraduates from local universities for skilled jobs. Other employers who indicate a preference for TVET graduates in skilled jobs include sole proprietors, private limited companies and especially private contractors. For the low-skilled or manual workers, employers do not have strong educational preferences; where there are preferences it is worth noting that the public sector and public listed companies indicate a preference for TVET graduates.
Overhaul the current TVET system A plethora of weaknesses has been identified in the current TVET system and solutions proposed with little sustainable impact to date. The establishment by the government of a National Taskforce to reform TVET holds promise of real change—that will happen only if there is a complete structural overhaul of the system to:
– Ensure strategic coordination, importantly, by bringing the diverse and huge number of training providers (over 1,000 public and private TVET institutions) under a single effective governance body that can provide quality assurance for the skill outputs from the different institutions; – Prioritise a demand-driven approach by ensuring close industry involvement to realistically relate training to workforce needs, including providing incentives for employers to offer WBT; – Establish a relevant and reliable competency standards and qualifications framework for better matching and to facilitate entry of TVET graduates into universities; and – Raise the status of TVET, including through gender-sensitive labour market information and career guidance, including introducing role models. A review of salary differentials between TVET graduates and those from other educational streams could also shed light on the issues that need to be addressed.
Source: Excerpts from Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) 2018
PUTRAJAYA (July 9): A strong cooperation between the industry and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions is significantly important to ensure that there will be a matching supply and demand to enable local TVET institutions to offer high technology industry courses based on industry requirements.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the government believed that the cooperation would create a new breed of specialist workforce in learning the latest technology that has a spillover effect that would be able to boost economic growth and development of technology in other sectors such as agriculture, construction, health and services.
“The government believes the agenda to empower TVET with the cooperation from the industry players should be the national TVET strategic goals.
“A smart partnership between the industry and TVET institutions will help in the production of quality products and more efficient services,” he said in his keynote address at the TVET Convention here today.
To achieve that, Dr Mahathir called on more industry players to play a more active role in developing the country’s human capital and supporting the national TVET policy, especially by recognising the skills of TVET graduates and sharing their expertise with them.
Dr Mahathir said TVET programmes which involved a joint venture between public TVET institution and multinational company and based on industry needs and requirements, had proven successful with almost 90 per cent of the graduates being able to secure jobs upon graduation.
“That is why public and private TVET industry players should get out of their comfort zones and find more effective solutions.
“One of the approaches is definitely through inter-stakeholder collaboration, especially with the industry,” he said.
The prime minister said TVET would be the game-changer in the government’s efforts to produce highly-skilled local workforce, hence reducing dependency on foreign workers.
He said the government would also strive to enhance Malaysian youth capability in TVET to enable the demands of the high-tech industry to be met by the local workforce.
