TVET should be introduced in Form 1, instead of in Form 4

SHAH ALAM - Former education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said he was of the view that the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme should be introduced sooner in Form 1 rather than Form 4 to give them the opportunity to decide which field they are interested in.

He said TVET with its wide scope of studies was much needed so that students could choose whether to work in the industrial sector or to continue with their studies to a higher level.

"Those with high technical skills could generate higher income due to it being a skill not many possess.

"If the student does not want to continue their studies, they could enter the industrial field. With the skills that they have, finding a job or starting their own company would be easy," he told Sinar Harian on Monday.

On March 6, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob proposed for the ministry to formulate a new policy on TVET to make it more relevant.

He said the ministry and the relevant agencies needed to rebrand the education system to eliminate parents' perception of TVET as second class education or irrelevant Meanwhile, former education director-general Datuk Dr Habibah Abdul Rahim whom agreed with the suggestion, said commitment from the government and the Education Ministry was needed to provide enough resources including money, infrastructure, equipment and teachers.

She said education towards the next level should be observed so that students could continue to be given accessibility to education.

"I agree that TVET was offered earlier to provide more opportunities and careers for students that are interested in pursuing their own skills and talents.

"The Education Ministry has prepared the Basic Vocational Education (PAV) for students in Form 1 to Form 4 with certificates from the Malaysian Cooperative Commission (SKM), however it has ended in stages.

"The ministry could probably revise the programme to look at its feasibility with the improvment and renewal and taking into account the current needs of the labour market and industrial demands," she said.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said TVET needed to be accomplished with high quality and suited with the job market nationally or internationally.

"TVET graduates in Malaysia need to be recognised on an international level and by higher education institutions for students to be accepted.

"Currently, Malaysia is not a fully developed country and we need to ensure TVET is always improved and revised in terms of new technologies for graduates to be relevant in the industry," he said.

Syed Hussain said the government needed to form a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with developed countries for Malaysian TVET graduates to be accepted in higher education institutes and industrial training overseas.

"The government's strategy to strengthen the TVET systems is reasonable and an accurate step in line with the direction towards the country's development and preparation for the implementation of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0).

"TVET will always be relevant and could be the change in productivity and the country's competitiveness," he said.

He added that the standardisation of certificates was needed as currently it was seperated into two, under the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA) and Skill Development Department (JPK).

"There are too many agencies involved in the TVET education progress and it complicates coordination of TVET policies that needs to be implemented.

"TVET students have practical skills making them stand out in their own fields compared to academic students," he said.