Take up TVET if you're not interested to go to university, MEF President tells SPM grads

SHAH ALAM – Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) advise Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia graduates who are not keen to pursue tertiary education to consider to equip themselves with necessary skills through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Education.

Its president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said employment rate among TVET graduates was over 81 per cent thus would address concerns regarding the employability among the youths.

“In contrast to the old days, TVET pathways are now just as significant in the higher education scenario, which is shifting away from a primary emphasis on academic education as the only route to success.

“Students who are better in hand-skilled talent will be able to fulfil the changing demands of industries in the current and future,” he told Sinar Daily.

Syed Hussain said this in response to a recent report by the Statistics Department stating that 390,000 or 72.1 per cent of SPM graduates had no plans to further their study and preferred to work as social media influencers, e-hailing car drivers and food delivery riders.

The study also revealed that out of 560,000 Malaysians who hold a diploma in 2019, only 170,000 went on to further their studies while the remaining graduates chose to enter the workforce.

The department had said it was a trend that had no signs of slowing down.

SPM results announced on June 16 this year indicated that 336,630 or 88.09 per cent of the total 407,097 registered candidates were eligible to obtain their SPM certificates.

Syed Hussain said the jobs mentioned were easy to apply for and did not need any necessary qualifications thus making it easier to earn an income compared to white-collar employment.

He added that the digitalisation of businesses in this era had probably enhanced the inclination towards the gig economy.

“According to an MEF report, among the factors why they choose not to continue their studies is the need to support their family’s financial needs, flexibility in working on gig platforms, influence on startup success stories on social platforms, difficulties in finding work and the fact that having high qualifications does not always lead to a high-paying job are some of the reported factors,” he said.

Syed Hussain also expressed concerns over the anticipated rise of SPM students for class 2020 and 2021 to continue their education.

“These students had to go through a challenging learning experience during the pandemic, they had to adapt to the new norm,” he added.