Need to change perception of Technical Vocational Education
Published on: Wednesday, September 07, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: Deputy Education Minister Datuk Mary Yap said there was a need to change the public's perception of Technical Vocational Education (TVET) in the country. "We need to let the public know that there is much more to technical vocational education than what people thought before."I was a technical school principal before and parents (then) used to have negative perceptions (about vocational schools) but not anymore. As Higher Education Minister Dato Sri Idris bin Jusoh used to say, it is also not considered a second class (education).
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"We are definitely making quality TVET graduates with skills needed by the industry and now there is another programme namely the 2U2I programme where its two years at university and two years work based training in the industry. "This is a win-win situation and it's actually a model that is used in Germany where the industries are ready to take in these students to work for them when these students graduate."Kota Kinabalu Politeknik has already started this programme where its students study three years at the Politeknik and have one year of work based learning."For community colleges, the employability figures (after graduation) is something the Education Ministry can be proud of as almost every graduated student I spoke to have said they have obtained a job with a recorded 97.4 per cent employability rate for the colleges and over 80 per cent for Politeknik students."
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The implication is clear that students who graduate with skills are very much in demand and that the first TVET was impactful also.Yap said this when met by reporters at the Kota Kinabalu Politeknik's Rafflesia Hall on Tuesday.
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She said last year there were 1372 interested (job) applicants at the TVET carnival and 141 persons were offered jobs immediately."I hope the figure will increase with this year being the second year of the carnival programme."She said the Malaysian Education Blueprint also focusses on Technical Vocational Education and it's not only the ministry that is doing it but also other ministries such as the human resource ministry which is looking into skills training.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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