KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — The government is urged to make it mandatory for industries, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to recruit Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) students for industrial training placements.
In making the call, Yayasan Mahir Malaysia president Datuk Sri Ganes said the industry is now seen to be more inclined to hire university students than TVET students.
“TVET students need to undergo industrial training to complete the learning component when they reach the advanced state. They cannot just rely on theory and exams, they need to undergo industrial training for recognition in addition to testing their abilities.
“However, since it is not mandatory, industry players prefer to hire university students. So, when will TVET students be given the opportunity?” he said in a statement here today.
In the meantime, Sri Ganes, who is also SG Education Group Berhad chairman, said that TVET graduates, especially in fields related to electric vehicles (EVs) and drones, are ahead of graduates in other fields due to their high employability.
Thus, he described TVET as a ‘new force’ capable of producing skilled workers and generating significant profits for the country.
“The latest development in TVET, through drones and EVs, can generate high income and high-impact programmes,” he said.
Meanwhile, he explained that EV education has its own ecosystem.
“The micro-education has formed a skilled workforce in terms of battery production, battery-based products, research and development, battery disposal and also EV construction materials,” he said.
Sri Ganes also proposed that efforts to prioritise skilled workers in this domain should include reskilling and upskilling programmes to strengthen expertise in EVs and drones, thus establishing a sustainable foundation for the nation’s development and future.
— Bernama
