MARA TVET achieves almost 100 percent marketability – DPM Ahmad Zahid

PUTRAJAYA: A total of 270 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions under the People's Trust Council (MARA) recorded a graduate employability rate of approximately 99.5 percent, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He, who is also the Chairman of the National TVET Council, said that this proud achievement proves that MARA TVET institutions are at the forefront of making the national TVET agenda a success, which is now entering the TVET 2.0 phase. "I also really appreciate that the private sector has been at the forefront of supporting TVET across the country by offering not only new modules but also providing equipment, tools and machinery for certain TVET institutions. "They are welcoming TVET 2.0 not only with the various contributions that I mentioned earlier, but they have also signed an agreement with the National TVET Council and most TVET institutions in Malaysia, that all TVET students will be employed by this industry, 100 percent absorbed into the industry," he said when speaking at the National TVET Day 2026 celebration, here, today. The National TVET 2026 celebration was held at Dataran Putrajaya here, with the opening ceremony and launch of TVET 2.0 officiated by Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said the implementation of TVET 2.0 will focus more on new fields that have high marketability such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and renewable energy, without neglecting conventional fields that continue to be in demand. "In TVET 2.0, apart from the focus I have given, we have also sent teaching staff from certain TVET institutions abroad for free, not funded by the government but funded by the industry abroad for our teachers," he said. In addition, he said, the industry also offers premium salaries to TVET graduates, with a minimum salary of RM2,500 for those who complete the Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM) course, above the current minimum wage rate. He said the employability rate of TVET graduates nationwide had also increased to 98.7 percent at the end of May compared to 95.1 percent previously. "This is an achievement that we are grateful for and as I often say, achieving success is difficult but maintaining it is even more difficult. Our duty and responsibility is not only to maintain that success but also to continue to improve it," he said. Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid said that students from tahfiz schools and pondok schools are now also given the opportunity to pursue TVET, including in aerospace engineering and maritime engineering through programmes offered by UniKL. "This will raise the level of maahad tahfiz students who have so far only focused on the fields of syariah and usuluddin. God willing, we will see in the next three to five years, apart from continuing to maintain memorization of the Quran, they will become engineers and be involved in aerospace," he said. He said the move is expected to produce more highly skilled professionals among tahfiz students without affecting their mastery in the field of religion. Ahmad Zahid also said that seven universities in the Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN) offer higher education pathways to TVET students up to master's and doctorate (PhD) levels. He said the government has allocated RM7.9 billion to the TVET sector through the 2026 Budget, which is the highest allocation ever given to strengthen the implementation of TVET 2.0, including skills enhancement and retraining programmes. Regarding the celebration of National TVET Day 2026, he said that this year's event was held on a relatively large scale despite the very low cost, thus reflecting the efficiency of resource management and the government's commitment in ensuring that high-impact programs can continue without burdening the country's expenses. Taking up the theme "TVET, the Top Career Choice", the National TVET Day 2026 celebration, for three days until Sunday, starting from 9 am to 10 pm, brings together more than 107 agencies, institutions, and industry players from nine major sectors on one stage, covering the fields of aerospace, electronics and digital, agriculture, transportation and automotive, advanced manufacturing, services, rail, maritime and the energy sectors. -- BERNAMA

PUTRAJAYA: A total of 270 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions under the People’s Trust Council (MARA) recorded a graduate employability rate of approximately 99.5 percent, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He, who is also the Chairman of the National TVET Council, said that this proud achievement proves that […]