TVET enrollment expected to reach 65% by 2026, offering premium salaries and near-perfect employment rates for Malaysian graduates
KINABATANGAN: Technical and Vocational Education and Training is transforming from a secondary option into a primary educational pathway for Malaysian youth.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that TVET participation among SPM leavers is projected to increase from 57.4% this year to 65% by the end of 2026.
“The TVET programme is no longer considered a second choice or only for those who fail academically,” said Ahmad Zahid, who chairs the National TVET Council.
He highlighted that TVET now promises premium salaries, with Malaysian Skills Certificate holders from levels one to three commanding starting salaries of RM2,500.
Ahmad Zahid revealed exceptional employment outcomes, noting that 98.7% of Majlis Amanah Rakyat institution students secure jobs before course completion.
The nationwide TVET marketability rate stands at 95.1%, while the Construction Industry Development Board Training Institute achieves perfect 100% employment for its graduates.
Six universities now offer TVET courses, including Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia and Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka.
“Parents are starting to trust TVET for their children,” the Deputy Prime Minister observed during his speech at the TVET Tour Programme at Kinabatangan Square.
Malaysia currently hosts 1,398 TVET institutions providing over 4,500 courses across high-skill fields like artificial intelligence and electric vehicles.
The programme has expanded to include religious school students, with 750 pondok school graduates now enrolled at Universiti Kuala Lumpur’s aerospace and marine engineering faculties. – Bernama
