MTVET APPROVES INTERIM COMMITTEE TO LEAD NATIONAL BIG DATA DRIVE - AHMAD ZAHID

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 4 (Bernama) --  Today's meeting of the National TVET Council (MTVET) agreed to establish an interim committee for TVET Big Data under its purview.

This new structure will serve as a more authoritative and sustainable national coordination body, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

As the chairman of MTVET, he said the formation of this committee is crucial following the successful TVET Big Data development project under the 12th Malaysia Plan, which consolidated data from 12 ministries into an integrated national TVET reference database.

"Through this committee, the governance of data collection, updates, and sharing will be executed in a more systematic, integrated manner, in compliance with national standards," he said in a statement after chairing the MTVET meeting here. 

Ahmad Zahid explained that this step will enable the government to adopt a data-driven decision-making approach across all aspects of TVET planning, such as course coordination, labour market projections, curriculum development, talent mapping and policy formulation.

He added that the interim committee will also ensure the continuity of the second phase of TVET Big Data development under the 13th Malaysia Plan, which will focus on building a national TVET analytics system to enhance monitoring efficiency and improve the on-the-ground outcomes.

He noted that the meeting also acknowledged the success of the TVET Tahfiz programme, which is now being strengthened through the Hi-TVET initiative.

This programme is a collaboration between the Department of Polytechnic and Community College Education (JPPKK), central agencies, industry partners and Islamic educational institutions.

"This programme enhances the employability of tahfiz students, as evidenced by achievements such as a win at WorldSkills ASEAN 2025 and the expansion of techno-huffaz initiatives. Its continued support is secured with a continuous allocation, including RM5 million for 2025," he said.

Furthermore, Ahmad Zahid highlighted that the Malaysian Prison TVET has demonstrated a significant impact on inmate rehabilitation, with over 19,000 participants trained since 2012.

"Recognition both domestically and internationally, along with the implementation of the new Skills for Prospect (S4P) model, demonstrates TVET's role as a powerful instrument for social empowerment," he added.

He also reported that GiatMARA has seen success with its TVET Tahfiz Empowerment Programme and Gig Industry Worker Skills Programme.

Both initiatives have exceeded participation targets, increased participants' income, and expanded training access through mobile units, which are projected to benefit over 11,000 participants by 2027.

"Collectively, the outcomes of today's meeting affirm the government's unwavering commitment to elevating TVET as a cross-ministerial, cross-regional and cross-societal national agenda," he emphasised. 

"With an integrated, data-driven, and future-oriented approach, the government is confident that the national TVET ecosystem will be further reinforced. This will cultivate a competitive, skilled workforce ready to drive Malaysia's aspiration of becoming an advanced, skill-based economy," he concluded.

-- BERNAMA