NST Leader: TVET charting new heights

New Straits Times

23-05-2025

A skilled technician from a humble background in Kuala Lumpur found a niche servicing air-conditioners in affluent areas, charging hundreds of ringgit for a house call.
The technician is available any time of the week, sometimes within hours of an urgent summon.
Typically, the technician services five to 10 air-conditioners at an average of RM170 per unit, often in only three homes.
The technician first honed his skills as a company employee, earning at most RM3,500, but since becoming a free agent and forming his own company, his earnings have quadrupled, providing him with staff, a nice home and a gleaming new SUV on top of his work van.
This technician is among the many blue-collar workers who have taken their craft to the next level, directly competing with more desirable academic qualifications. His success mirrors the growing value of vocational training and apprenticeship in a blue-collar environment.
The blue-collar general worker's average monthly salary is RM1,712, but they can command better wages in cities. For example, RM2,071 in Johor Baru and RM1,856 to RM4,000 in Kuala Lumpur.
While Malaysians often avoid menial labour, they are inclined to work as an electrician, mechanic, plumber, carpenter, bricklayer, plumber or operate specialised heavy machinery. It is gratifying that the blue-collar community is finally catching up in wages and fees.
The Technical and Vocational Education and Training Policy 2030 launched in 2024 confirms this wage growth, producing skilled workers who earn salaries that match or surpass their academically-inclined peers.
Malaysian Skills Certificate Level 3 holders consistently earn more or the same as holders of Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia.
TVET diploma holders also saw stronger wage growth. From 2012 to 2022, their median starting salary saw a 14 per cent spike, compared with just two per cent for diploma holders.
As Malaysia's industrial and consumer base grew in the last four decades, crucial blue-collar work has flourished too, particularly in the private sector. Still, blue-collar work's future will be shaped by automation and the digital economy's evolving demands.
The government's response is to step up upskilling and reskilling programmes to help workers adapt to changing job requirements and environments.
As Malaysia's economy grows, manufacturing, construction and, yes, households, are expected to create more skilled and lucrative blue-collar opportunities.
The gig economy, like the one embraced by the technician, allows flexible work opportunities resistant to the vagaries of automation and artificial intelligence.
As long as TVET grows and workers update their skills and knowledge, blue-collar work may one day become primary careers that can secure handsome incomes, bridge skills gaps and reduce poverty, as exemplified by the successful air-conditioner technician.