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| KUALA LUMPUR: The participation rate of students in the National Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme, which currently stands at 53.9 per cent, is expected to increase to 70 per cent by the end of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the number of secondary school graduates enrolling in TVET institutions had risen significantly over the past three years, increasing from 190,000 to 439,000 students across 1,368 institutions nationwide, including those under federal and state governments as well as private institutions.
The achievement, said the Rural and Regional Development Minister, underscores the growing importance of TVET as a key driver of national development.
"The government is paying close attention to TVET, with a particular focus on students in rural areas.
"We know that many secondary school students are now choosing TVET as their preferred pathway to further their education.
"When observing the percentage, I am not surprised that by the end of the 13MP, this number is expected to rise to 70 per cent.
"This represents a game changer in transforming our education ecosystem, moving away from the conventional route of taking the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM), then progressing to university," he said in his speech at the Madani Chit Chat Programme with the Backbenchers Club (BBC), titled "Urbanising Rural Areas and Youth Migration: What Say the Legislators?" today.
Also present were Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang, Tampin MP Datuk Mohd Isam Mohd Isa, Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan, and Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan.
Commenting further, Zahid, who is also chairman of the National TVET Council, said that while academic subjects such as Malay Studies, History and Islamic Civilisation remain important, TVET offers greater employability prospects.
He said TVET graduates recorded a national employability rate of 95.1 per cent, with some securing jobs even before completing their training.
He added that TVET graduates also enjoy better starting salaries compared with conventional academic graduates.
"For TVET institutions under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, the employability rate is even higher at 98.7 per cent, with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Institute of Malaysia achieving 100 per cent.
"And while the national minimum wage is RM1,700, graduates with the Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM) Level 3 are earning premium wages of about RM2,500," he said.
He added that the government has also prioritised TVET as one of the key areas of study that will drive the transformation of the youth workforce ecosystem in Malaysia.
"When I was entrusted to chair the National TVET Council, the allocation at that time distributed across 12 different ministries overseeing TVET amounted to RM6.8 billion.
"A year later, it was increased to RM7.5 billion, and next year, as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, it will rise further to RM7.9 billion.
"This shows that the government is paying close attention to TVET, with priority given to students in rural areas," he said. |
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