KUANTAN: Introducing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) from primary and secondary school levels lays a solid foundation for nurturing a generation that is both competent and attuned to industry needs.
Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Strategy and Corporate) of Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), Prof Ts Dr Kamal Yusoh, said that early exposure to the skills field sought to foster recognition of TVET as a mainstream education pathway, breaking the stigma of it being viewed as a second-choice option.
“Through this approach, students are exposed to more contextual and meaningful learning experiences that reflect the real world.
“It is in line with the needs of the future economy, which requires a highly skilled workforce that is technologically literate and able to adapt to an ever-changing environment,” he told Bernama.
Kamal said that by building a solid foundation of skills from school, students would be better positioned to continue their studies or enter the workforce, while the initiative could help reduce dropouts and open up broader career opportunities.
He also proposed that TVET be introduced to primary school students in a fun and interactive way, helping them develop basic skills in areas like simple material creation, basic carpentry, introductory robotics, and creative recycling.
“TVET at the lower secondary level can be enhanced by focusing on technological and practical skills, such as basic programming, digital design, simple automation, smart agriculture, and early exposure to engineering, hospitality, and entrepreneurship.
“At the upper secondary level, TVET can focus on more specialised areas that are closer to the working world, like basic mechatronics, application development, green technology, culinary, product design, or technical maintenance,” he said.
Kamal, however, said that the country still lacks trained TVET teachers, and that most existing teachers remain more focused on theory than on the practical industry experience needed for effective skills teaching.
He said that training and skills development opportunities for TVET teachers are also limited due to time constraints, workload, and financial allocations, leaving some teachers behind in technological knowledge and current industry practices.
Kamal said that, in addition, schools should have well-equipped and safe workshops, laboratories, and workspaces tailored to the TVET courses offered, so that students can experience a learning environment similar to actual workplaces.
Meanwhile, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Massila Kamalrudin said that TVET should be promoted as the nation’s strategic pathway to produce a highly skilled workforce that is both future-ready and relevant to industry.
“We face an urgent need in critical fields like artificial intelligence (AI), applied AI, advanced manufacturing, and aerospace, as the future will not wait for us, and we must be prepared to take the lead.
“Universities that truly understand the current demands will build curricula focused on real-world applications, strengthen industry-based learning, and ensure that graduates are not only employable but also able to lead changes in the new job ecosystem,” she said in a statement here today.
Massila said that universities must also act as problem solvers for both industry and society, while producing innovations that can be applied to technology, products, and services, as well as deliver social benefits guided by ethics and human values.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced during the launch of the National Education Blueprint 2026-2035 in Putrajaya on Monday that the Ministry of Education Malaysia would introduce TVET to primary and secondary school students through the school curriculum starting in 2027.
He said that this was to allow students in Years One to Six and Forms One to Three to gain exposure and have the opportunity to choose their majors at an earlier stage. – BERNAMA
