Put all TVETs under one ministry for better coordination, govt told

 

Former human resources minister M Kulasegaran has urged Putrajaya to consider putting all Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)-related matters under one ministry to have focused coordinated and streamlined policies.

He pointed out that the previous TVET allocation of RM6.7 billion from the Budget 2023 tabled last year was placed under three separate ministries - Higher Education, Education, and the Human Resources Ministry.

“This raises suspicion as there was no effort to streamline policies or address talent mismatch.

“I am also concerned that we have less than 28 percent skilled, trained force as compared to Singapore, which has 60 percent.

“This is why during my tenure as human resources minister, a cabinet committee headed by (former Permatang Pauh MP) Nurul Izzah Anwar was formed to address these issues.

“Therefore, I suggest that this can be repeated, not just to have a TVET committee but to streamline this under one roof,” Kulasegaran (above) said in a statement today.

Currently, there are multiple TVET programmes under different ministries that are offering the same courses and are struggling to fill up their capacity, the Ipoh Barat MP added.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had previously announced that the government would cooperate with the private sector in its TVET programmes to address the issue of talent mismatch.

Local companies will be selected for their expertise to help students meet the market’s needs, he said.

Kulasegaran commended the government for this move as he said there is a need to cater towards industrial demands, which often change due to new technologies and innovations.

Learn from S’pore, Japan

During his tenure as minister, Kulasegaran said he had suggested some TVET institutes be corporatised so that there is more accountability and deliberation with the private sector, as well as being able to meet industrial needs.

He also ensured all TVET institutes under the Human Resources Ministry at the time were open for training after working hours to cater to the working public, but that practice has ended since he left the ministry.

“Since then, the lack of coordination has resulted in great financial loss and poorly managed talent creation.

“The government that took over in 2020 failed to provide fresh ideas to uplift our TVET institutions,” he said.

He said there is a need for huge investments to kickstart a new era of TVET learning in Malaysia as the country’s institutes are now rundown and outdated.

“We should not be afraid to learn from Singapore and Japan either, as they have a highly skilled workforce that makes them more successful than Malaysia.

“Our youth deserve to show their capabilities and we need to provide the infrastructure for them to shine. Our youth unemployment rate is high and is worrying.

“This is why we need to have TVET under one roof to start making significant changes in the way we handle TVET learning,” he said. - Mkini