Employers are becoming more confident with TVET graduates: Khairy

PUTRAJAYA: Employers are becoming more confident will skills possessed by Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates ever since the programme was introduced in 2013, according to Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
He said this was proven by the fact that the starting salary for TVET graduates has increased by 10% to between RM1,800 and RM2,000 now compared to 2013.
"Some of the TVET graduates are receiving up to RM2,600, especially those working with international companies.
"This shows that employers are becoming more confident with TVET products and I hope this trend will continue to persist in a bid to create a high-income and high-technology economy which does not depend solely on academic qualifications," he told reporters after attending the convocation ceremony of the Youth and Sports Skills Training Institute (ILKBS) here today.
A total of 6,226 graduates in various fields received their respective certificate and diploma at the 13th edition of the ILKBS convocation.
Khairy said the marketability rate of ILKBS graduates had improved as 93% of them managed to secure jobs within six months upon graduation last year compared to only 83% in 2013.
However, he said several learning aspects needed improvement to enhance the soft skills of the graduates, especially in communication and usage of English language, to meet the demands of the industry.
As such, he said ILKBS would implement a "20:50" programme, in which 50% of the skill courses, especially for frontline services, will use English as the medium of instructions by 2020.
"Right now, the medium of instruction is the Malay language. Not that we want to sideline the national language, but this is vital for them, especially if they want to work with international companies," he explained.
Khairy said in order to ensure that ILKBS would remain as a respectable TVET institution, the ministry would set up a city campus to help the youths to earn side income by undergoing short-term and flexible industrial training.
The city campus, which will adopt the concept of industry-oriented and quick industry-market practice, will be located in a big city and is expected to increase the number of medium and high-skilled workers to drive the operation of the industry by 2020, he said. — Bernama