By Ahmad Nizam Che Kasim and Dr Juraini Zainol Abidin

As industries race towards digital transformation, Malaysia must break the myth that accounting is ‘just numbers’ and embrace TVET-powered, STEM-ready accountants to safeguard its economic future.

In the evolving landscape of professional skills, accounting is no longer the static, ledger-bound discipline it once was.

The ACCA has underscored how today’s accountants are at the forefront of data analytics, digital systems management, and AI-powered decision-making.

From blockchain audit trails to sustainability reporting, the modern accountant operates in a technology-driven environment, making the case for accounting to be recognised as part of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) spectrum.

For Malaysia, this recognition could be transformative.

The nation’s economic trajectory depends on cultivating talent that blends financial expertise with technological agility. While STEM initiatives have largely focused on engineering, IT and pure sciences, the accounting profession remains critical in governance, compliance and strategic financial leadership.

The challenge lies in creating professionals who are not just compliance officers but problem-solvers equipped for digital disruption.

This is where Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) integration becomes crucial.

Globally, TVET is recognised for producing industry-ready graduates with practical skills that align closely with market demands.

Integrating TVET into accounting education

In Malaysia, the government’s push for an integrated TVET ecosystem aims to address skills shortages, enhance employability and prepare the workforce for high-value industries.

Integrating TVET into accounting education ensures that graduates have both theoretical depth and practical competence, bridging the gap between academic learning and industry application.

The Bachelor of Accounting with Honours (TVET/QP 18132) offered by Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) is a pioneering step in this direction.

As the first programme in Malaysia built under the Occupational and Industry Standards and Practices (OISP) and COPTPA frameworks, it exemplifies how a professional degree can also serve national TVET goals.

Its 2u2i model, which combines two and a half years at university followed by a full year of Work-Based Learning (WBL) in industry, immerses students in real business environments and gives them firsthand experience in applying classroom concepts to complex workplace challenges.

UniMAP’s curriculum integrates core accounting subjects with STEM-oriented modules such as Accounting Information Systems, Financial Technology, AI in auditing and Financial Modelling.

This ensures graduates can operate digital accounting platforms, evaluate cybersecurity risks and leverage big data for financial strategy. The focus on public sector accounting also addresses Malaysia’s increasing demand for professionals skilled in accrual accounting and e-governance systems.

By graduation, students earn not just a degree but also industry-recognised certifications, making them doubly competitive in the job market.

This model aligns seamlessly with Malaysia’s TVET Ambition under the National TVET Policy to produce a workforce that is both future-ready and industry-certified.

It demonstrates that TVET is not limited to trades and technical fields but can elevate professional domains like accounting to meet emerging economic needs.

Such hybrid pathways can attract a broader range of students, including those from vocational colleges, by offering a clear academic progression route from diploma to honours degree without losing the hands-on, applied learning that TVET champions.

Recognising accounting as a STEM-aligned and TVET-integrated discipline could unlock new funding streams, encourage industry-academia partnerships and enhance Malaysia’s talent competitiveness regionally.

More importantly, it reinforces the idea that the nation’s economic resilience lies not in separating STEM from professional services but in fusing them, creating graduates who can manage, innovate and lead in both spheres.

In the coming decade, Malaysia’s growth will depend on professionals who can reconcile technological transformation with sound financial governance.

TVET-integrated programmes like UniMAP’s OISP-based Bachelor of Accounting can be the blueprint for achieving that balance, preparing a new generation of accountants who are not just keeping up with change but driving it.

-- BERNAMA

Ahmad Nizam Che Kasim and Dr Juraini Zainol Abidin are with the Faculty of Business & Communication, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP).