Malaysia establishes a government-industry body, and 12 collaboration hubs to boost TVET

According to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri, this move will be "a platform for strategic collaboration of expertise, equipment, and technology between centres of excellence, TVET institutions, regional economic, and industrial authorities".

Technical vocational education and training (TVET) in Malaysia will continue its steady progress after Prime Minister Ismail Sabri, on 3 February 2022 (Thursday), announced the establishment of government-industry TVET coordination body (badan koordinasi TVET kerajaan-industri, or GITC) that "will be directly involved in the development of the country's TVET human capital, particularly in relation to skills, and manpower requirements".

According to PM Ismail, the GITC will be supported by:

• 12 associations across several industry sectors, and
• 12 TVET collaboration hubs including for automotive, semiconductor, marine, air conditioning, aerospace, robotics, rail, telecommunications, hospitality & tourism, and food technology in the Peninsula, Sabah, and Sarawak.

This support will be "a platform for strategic collaboration of expertise, equipment, and technology between centres of excellence, TVET institutions, regional economic, and industrial authorities", the Prime Minister added. Which is much welcomed as, highlighted in the 12^th Malaysia Plan (MP), the government has the intention to strengthen technical vocational education and training programmes by improving the ecosystem, improving the quality of programmes through accreditation, recognition and certification of international bodies as well as introducing an institutional rating system. On top of that, develop a centralised platform for supply and demand data.

"Under Budget 2022, the government has allocated RM6.6bn to empower TVET through various initiatives to be implemented by relevant ministries and agencies," PM Ismail reminded.

"These initiatives will provide graduates who meet the needs of the industry, improve the quality of TVET institutions, strengthen the offering of industry-oriented programmes, and intensify active industry involvement. It is time for TVET to be the main choice of youths in preparing themselves for the future because TVET has proven to be able to produce skilled, trained, and entrepreneurial individuals."

The Prime Minister also drew attention to what the Ministry of Education is currently doing, he said that students, as early as those in form one, are getting "an initial exposure of the TVET education system", and that, to date, there are 1,295 public, and private TVET providers across 11 ministries, including 22 state government technical vocational education and training institutions across Malaysia, that provide certificate, and diploma level studies in technical vocational education and training.

Further, the government now also "recognises" the Malaysian Vocational Diploma (DVM) as a route to a network of public technical universities in Malaysia (MTUN), namely Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UNIMAP), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), and Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP).

"These elements are able to make a youth more independent, and able to adapt to a challenging career environment," PM Ismail added.

Image / PM Ismail's Facebook

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