Technical and vocational skills in great demand

An estimated 60 per cent of the 1.5 million jobs to be created by 2020 will require Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) skills.

Thus, the transformation and enabling of TVET to meet industry demand has been set as one of the most pivotal points of focus in the 11th Malaysian Plan. Malaysia will need to increase its annual intake gradually from 164,000 in 2013 to 225,000 in 2020 to meet the demand.

In efforts to strengthen TVET governance, the current gragmented sector will be consolidated through the establishment of a single system to facilitate better coordination and monitoring. The quality and delivery of TVET programmes, in an effort to improve graduate employability, will be enhanced through new partnership models with industries involved in every step of the value chain, particularly in the design and delivery of the curriculum, to ensure more hands-on and up-to-date lessons.

This could include apprenticeships, internships and work-based learning programmes. "Problem,Project, Production" learning modules that engage students in authentic "real world" tasks intended to simulate actual workplace situations will also be embedded in the curriculum to better prepare students for the working environment.

The plan also includes continued funding under the Skills Development Fund (SDF) for TVET students, who pursue high-demand programmes by industries.

The existing SDF loan mechanism for employee upskilling and reskilling will be revamped to increase the number of recipients through a cost-sharing arrangement with the industry. Fees in public TVET institutions will be standardised based on the type and level of programme.

Rebranding efforts of TVET will be achieved through promotional activities, highlighting it as an attractive career choice.

In programme delivery, the plan calls for the design and delivery of curriculum led by industry, in partnership with TVET institutions and the government, as opposed to design and delivery of curriculum led by individual TVET institutions or the government