Najib outlines initiatives for TVET transformation

SHAH ALAM: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday outlined several initiatives to transform Technical and Vocational Education and Training in the country, which includes developing a TVET Masterplan.

He said the masterplan will be streamlined by the Ministry of Human Resources with other ministries involved in TVET like the Higher Education Ministry and Education Ministry.

Secondly , the prime minister said the government would allocate RM50 million from 30 per cent of Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Bhd’s (PSMB) accumulated funds, for TVET.

“For the information of all, PSMB has set aside 30 per cent of levies collected by the Human Resource Development Fund as a pool fund to implement strategic programmes as an effort to support achieving of national objectives in raising the level of skilled workers in Malaysia,” he said when launching TVET Malaysia at the Advanced Technology Training Centre (ADTEC) here yesterday.

Also present were Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh and Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.

Najib said that to transform TVET, special attention must also be given to Industrial Revolution 4.0 so as to create a workforce that is able to compete on the world stage.

He said that to support this revolution, collaboration was being forged with Skills Development Centres, polytechnics, universities and companies, entailing an allocation of RM75 million.

“Besides this, the government will also review the rate and charges related to filing of intellectual property as well as incentives that are suitable to encourage more innovation especially through the TVET institution,” he said.

The prime minister said human capital that was highly shilled was very important in transforming the national economy and function to narrow the the skills gap the country was facing, particularly by industry.

As such, he said that with Malaysia heading to become a high income nation, the government was committed to five core thrusts in transforming TVET including training 300,000 Malaysians from the lower income or B40 group from now until 2025. — Bernama