NO NEED TO WAIT FOR A JOB, CRITICAL INDUSTRIES ALWAYS READY TO HIRE TVET GRADUATES

By Ummu Khalidah Hamzah

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 (Bernama) -- If previously the vocational field was viewed as a second choice, today the current job landscape in the country has changed, showing a significant shift as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) emerges as a strategic career path and a top choice, aligning with current industry needs.

This is driven by the increasing demand from the industry for skilled labour, particularly in critical sectors such as aircraft and vehicle maintenance, which not only requires theoretical knowledge but also demands specific technical skills and complex practical training.

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According to Advance Technology Training Centre (ADTEC) Shah Alam aviation division lecturer and quality manager Ahmad Zulhisham Abdul Wahab, the employability rate of TVET graduates has shown an increase every year, thus proving that the field is becoming increasingly relevant and needed in the job market.

“Based on ADTEC records, nearly 99 per cent of graduates secure employment within a short period after graduation.

“More impressively, based on the excellent track record of graduates in the industry, large companies have already started 'locking in' students as early as their fifth and sixth semesters before they even graduate," he said when met by Bernama at ADTEC Shah Alam in Selangor recently.

Reviewing the TVET education module, Ahmad Zulhisham said that students in the field of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), especially aircraft maintenance, are not only exposed to theoretical knowledge but also receive more hands-on training.

“Practical training using various types of real aircraft and helicopters gives students an advantage in understanding the real work environment, thus increasing their level of preparedness when they enter the workforce.

“In the three years of study, students have the opportunity to obtain three important certificates simultaneously, namely the Diploma in Technology from the Department of Human Resources, a Malaysian Skills Diploma Level Four from the Department of Skills Development, and an Aircraft Maintenance Technician Category A licence recognised by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM)," he said.

According to him, the career scope for TVET graduates is not limited to the technical level, but can expand up to the level of an engineer depending on experience and career advancement, including the opportunity to serve in the security sector such as the Royal Malaysian Air Force, the Royal Malaysia Police and the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department.

Meanwhile, Universiti Kuala Lumpur-Malaysia France Institute (UniKL MFI) deputy dean (Student Development and Campus Lifestyle) Dr. Siti Norhafiza Abdul Razak said the stigma that TVET is a second-class or 'unmarketable' field needs to be completely eradicated.

She said TVET graduates are highly valued and in great demand by the industry, as evidenced by the 99.7 per cent employability rate of graduates in this field at UniKL within three to six months of graduation.

In this regard, she suggested that Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) graduates who are inclined towards practical skills-based learning should make TVET their primary career path choice, not only because of more guaranteed job opportunities, but also as a medium to improve their quality of life and social mobility in the future.

“We need to reject the perception that TVET is low-class or that skills like welding are only suitable for small jobs, when in fact many sectors, including critical fields, require skilled welders and offer significantly higher salary structures compared to other sectors.

"At UniKL itself, welding modules and training are specifically developed to meet the needs of large and complex industries such as oil and gas, which require highly skilled personnel capable of performing tasks accurately and with quality," she said.

Meanwhile, National Organisation of Skilled Workers (BELIA MAHIR) president Mohammad Rizan Hassan, who is also National TVET Council member, said that the issue of perception remains a major obstacle to the development of TVET in the country.

He said that when TVET continues to be seen as a second-class path, many talented young people in technical fields are not given early opportunities to develop, thus contributing to a shortage of local technicians and technologists.

“This situation leads to continued reliance on foreign workers and a waste of the potential of local youth who possess high practical skills but are not given proper recognition in the country's education and job market ecosystem," he said.

Elaborating further, Mohammad Rizan said policies such as the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030) will only achieve their goals if they are translated practically through TVET training that aligns with industry needs.

According to him, the TVET system needs to be constantly updated to face global technological shifts such as artificial intelligence, automation and green energy, in addition to providing flexible skills upgrading pathways for the existing workforce.

-- BERNAMA