‘Public-private partnership vital to empower TVET’

KUALA LUMPUR: Publicprivate partnership (PPP) should serve as the primary mechanism that plays a pivotal role in empowering the Technical Vocational and Education Training (TVET) field in the country.

Yayasan Mahir Malaysia president Datuk P. Sri Ganes stressed that in the context of TVET, the public and private sectors should not be dichotomous (divided into two parts) in empowering the field.

He said this collaboration could not only enhance existing institutions but also offer more opportunities for students to pursue new courses that are in high demand, such as electric vehicles (EVs) and drones.

“Through this collaboration, key industry players in the country can actively engage in the ongoing management of TVET training, ensuring that trained students are wellprepared to enter the workforce with a viable income.

“At the same time, it will address issues of mismatched, inadequate, and unsatisfactory training experienced by graduates. Without competent skilled manpower, the development of the sector will be hindered,” he told Bernama.

Sri Ganes, who is also the SG Education Group chief executive officer, said that, without PPP, there would not only be a financial burden on one party but also an unequal distribution of the responsibility for supplying a qualified workforce to the market.

“Therefore, an efficient partnership between the public and private sectors will enable the optimal utilisation of resources between these two sectors,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sri Ganes said the Perai Industrial Training Institute (ILP) in Penang has formed a partnership with the Autotronics Centre of Excellence, which has donated RM200,000 in autotronic equipment to the ILP, as well as training funding for its nine qualified trainers at an estimated cost of RM45,000.

He said that the course provided through the collaboration has benefited approximately 500 students, catering to both workers and graduates, with options available for short-term and long-term participation depending on their suitability.

“We offer two options, namely graduates who are yet to secure employment are advised to undertake the course, which spans from seven to 14 days (short term), while for those currently employed, we provide the course on weekends,” he said.

Those interested in enrolling in the programme can visit autotronics.edu.my/ kerjayamadani.