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The Sun
21 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Asean hub to promote skilled worker mobility
KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi proposed the establishment of an Asean TVET Certification and Excellence Hub to standardise benchmarks, ensure mutual recognition and promote skilled worker mobility across the region. 'Our TVET journey does not stop at Malaysia's borders. We have gone to the world to strengthen our agenda, ensuring our talent is globally competitive,' Ahmad Zahid said when officiating at the Asean TVET Conference 2025 at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur. He highlighted Malaysia's recent global collaborations, including 5,125 industrial placements in China, partnerships with the Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI in Abu Dhabi and skills exchanges with Japan, Germany and Australia. Ahmad Zahid added that the initiative should be complemented by cross-border apprenticeship programmes, enabling students from the Philippines to train in Malaysia, Indonesians in Vietnam, and Thai graduates in Singapore, turning Asean integration into a practical reality through the movement of skills and knowledge. Ahmad Zahid also announced plans for a new Asean Green and Digital Skills Taskforce, which would unite member states 'in concrete actions, measurable targets and steadfast mutual support to cultivate the talent our region needs'. He reaffirmed that TVET remains central to Malaysia's economic strategy, aiming to create 1.2 million high-value jobs in manufacturing and the digital economy within the next five years. Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong were also present at the conference. In his keynote address, Sim said: 'Firstly, Asean should be a platform to share our experiences in skills training.' Sim noted that each member state has different stages of industrialisation, and sectoral strengths could complement one another, citing Malaysia's more than half a century of high-tech manufacturing experience. 'Today we are 7% of global semiconductor trade and 13% of global semiconductor backend manufacturing,' he said, adding that Malaysia aims to become a world-class skills training centre to prepare its workforce for higher-value jobs. Sim proposed moving towards a common Asean certification framework to enable transborder recognition of skills. 'If skills are the currency of IR 4.0 (Industrial Revolution 4.0), then we must work hard towards mutual recognition,' he said, suggesting that the Asean TVET Council be strengthened to take on a greater role. He also pointed to Malaysia's legislative amendments to recognise TVET qualifications beyond the current advanced diploma level, covering consultant and expert certifications. He said these should meet stringent regional or global standards and allow free movement of expertise within Asean. Sim underscored the need for investment, noting that Malaysia spends about RM10 billion annually on TVET and skills education. 'If this is an average across Asean, we are looking at about RM100 billion annual government outlays for TVET and skills training,' he said. To illustrate Malaysia's commitment to resource sharing, Sim cited the recent opening of National Training Week to Asean citizens for the first time. The programme drew 3.5 million participants and offered over 72,000 free training courses valued at RM400 million. The two-day Asean TVET Conference 2025, jointly organised by the Human Resource Development Corporation and the Skills Development Fund Corporation Malaysia, is part of the Asean Year of Skills 2025. This year's theme, 'Advancing Digital and Green Transformations through an Inclusive and Future-Ready TVET System,' brings together over 1,500 delegates from across Asean, including policymakers, industry leaders, education providers and international partners.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Malaysia records 95.1pct TVET graduate job placement rate
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia now records a 95.1 per cent job placement rate for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates, who are also now included under the expanded minimum wage framework, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today. He said this reflects that skills training is finally aligning with job opportunities. "53.56 per cent of the country's secondary school leavers in 2024 chose TVET as their first option, marking a significant shift in national education trends. "There are now more than 430,000 students enrolled nationwide, and applications to national TVET institutions have surpassed 200,000," he said at the opening of the Asean TVET Conference (ATVET) 2025 at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL). Zahid, who chairs the National TVET Council, said the government's transformation agenda aims to ensure training remains relevant to market needs, inclusive across all communities, and coordinated under a single national vision. "When I was entrusted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in 2023 to chair the National TVET Council, I knew this was more than just a policy role," he said. He said Malaysia's TVET ecosystem is being positioned as a regional hub for training and certification, with efforts to attract students from other Asean countries while maintaining opportunities for Malaysians. "Our goal is not just to produce skilled workers, but to make Malaysia a credible reference centre for TVET in Asean," he said. Zahid highlighted Malaysia's international collaborations, from 5,125 industrial placements in China, to partnerships with the Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI in Abu Dhabi, and skills exchanges with Japan, Germany, and Australia. "In this era, the success of one nation in TVET is no longer enough. "Our workforce is increasingly regional, and our challenges are shared. This is why Malaysia proposed the establishment of an Asean TVET Certification & Excellence Hub. "We have gone to the world to strengthen our agenda, ensuring our talent is globally competitive," he said. These TVET reforms form part of a national mission to propel Malaysia into the world's top 20 of the Global Innovation Index and to create 1.2 million high-value jobs in manufacturing and the digital economy within the next five years. In June, Zahid said Malaysia was forging strategic partnerships with international educational institutions and industry players, including those from the United Kingdom, to develop a regionally recognised certification and a centre of excellence for TVET. The two-day conference is jointly organised by the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) and the Skills Development Fund Corporation, in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Asean. Held under the Asean Year of Skills (AYOS) 2025, the conference brings together over 1,000 delegates, including policymakers, industry leaders and educators, to address skills gaps, share best practices, and explore strategies for future-ready workforce development. Also present at the opening ceremony were Human Resources Minister Steven Sim, Human Resources Ministry secretary-general Datuk Azman Mohd Yusof, HRD Corp chairman Datuk Abu Huraira Abu Yazid, and HRD Corp chief executive officer Dr Syed Alwi Mohamed Sultan. Key discussion areas include strengthening regional collaboration within Asean, bridging skills gaps, aligning TVET with industrial transformation, and breaking barriers to make TVET more inclusive for women, youth, and marginalised communities.
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
DPM Zahid moots setting up taskforce to cultivate regional TVET workforce talent in Asean
KUALA LUMPUR: The establishment of an Asean Green and Digital Skills taskforce can unite the region in concrete action and measurable targets, keeping the region future-ready, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Mooting this, the Deputy Prime Minister said this would also ensure steadfast mutual support to cultivate talents needed in the region. Ahmad Zahid, who is also the National TVET council chairman, said the success of one nation in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) was no longer enough. 'Our workforce is increasingly regional, and our challenges are shared,' he said when launching the Asean TVET Conference held at the World Trade Centre here on Wednesday (Aug 13). He said Malaysia's proposal to establish an Asean TVET Certification and Excellence Hub, which aimed to function as a central body that would set benchmarks, ensure mutual recognition and promote mobility for skilled workers across borders. Ahmad Zahid further stressed the need to pioneer cross-border apprenticeship programmes. 'Here, a student from the Philippines can train in Malaysia, an Indonesian in Vietnam and a Thai graduate in Singapore - turning Asean integration into a living reality through the movement of skills and knowledge,' he said. He said Malaysia's TVET journey does not stop at its borders. According to him, Malaysia has forged impactful pathways, including 5,125 industrial placements in China, collaboration with the Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI in Abu Dhabi and skills exchanges with Japan, Germany and Australia. 'We have gone to the world to strengthen our agenda, ensuring our talent is globally competitive,' he said. The Deputy Prime Minister said some 53.56% of Malaysia's secondary school leavers chose TVET as their first choice last year. Graduate employability, he said, currently stands at 95.1%, reflecting how skills training is matching job opportunities. 'Applications to national TVET institutions have since surged past 200,000. We have also introduced new certification levels, which are equivalent to higher education qualifications. 'This gives our advanced technical graduates the credibility to compete on the global stage,' he said, adding that the minimum wage coverage has also been expanded to include semi-skilled and TVET graduates. In his remarks, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said Asean should be a platform for experience-sharing in skills training. 'The different stages of our industrialisation and the different sectors where each has our respective own competitive advantages will enable us to complement each other,' he said. Citing Malaysia's extensive experience in the high-tech manufacturing sector, specifically semiconductors, he said the country also aspires to be a world-class skills training centre. 'Our unique national experience will surely be useful to fellow member states who are perhaps exploring similar paths. Malaysia too can benefit from learning from our neighbours,' said Sim. The Asean TVET Conference was jointly organised by the Human Resource Development Corporation and the Skills Development Fund Corporation Malaysia. It is the fourth flagship platform under the Asean Year of Skills 2025. Themed 'Advancing Digital and Green Transformations through an Inclusive and Future-Ready TVET System', the two-day conference explores how the region can enhance the quality, relevance and accessibility of TVET to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving economy.
