Country needs 35% skilled workers in various fields by 2020

SHAH ALAM: The nation needs at least 35% skilled workers among the locals in various fields, in line with the objective of making Malaysia a developed and high-income nation by 2020.
Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Abd Muttalib said to achieve this objective, the government was in the process of mainstreaming the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) in the effort to produce more skilled manpower.
"Various initiatives have also been made to increase access to TVET training including collaborating with the industry to increase the effectiveness of the government strategy.
"The government is also in the process of promoting TVET as the main route to government and private training centres which offer programmes based on TVET," he said in his speech at the prize-presentation ceremony for the National Robot Challenge and the final competition for the Proton Automobile Technology held in conjunction with the Malaysia Skills Carnival, Central Zone here today.
Ismail's speech was read out by the deputy secretary-general (Policy and International) of the Human Resources Ministry Amir Omar. — Bernama