Crucial that TVET programme is up to date with industrial standards: Nurul

PETALING JAYA: There is a need to take small steps to empower and connect youths who are part of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) with available jobs, its chairman Nurul Izzah Anwar said.
She said there is a need to develop skills that meet the industry needs as well as ensuring that TVET graduates get a good living wage.
"We need to reform TVET to ensure that it meets the demands of the private sector and to do this we, at TVET need to know the whole ecosystem of the job market.
"We cannot simply churn out people from the TVET programme that at the end of the day will not have a job. Most of them are from the lower income group.
"They have taken loans to join TVET, therefore we must ensure that their training is in sync with the private sector needs," she told theSun.
Nurul said it is important that they learn skills that meet the demands of Industry 4.0, therefore all stakeholders involved in TVET must come together and understand the needs of the new industry.
The Permatang Pauh MP said there is a need for a single body to oversee the TVET programme because at the moment there are too many ministries involved in the programme.
"There is also an urgent need to look at all the institutions involved in TVET and whether they are producing 'graduates' that meet the job market demands.
"It is of no use to simply train people in particular skills if they have no job at the end of the day.
"We cannot simply burden them by getting institutions to provide courses and training that cannot be utilised," she said.
Nurul pointed out that making a profit should not be the top of the agenda of those providing TVET courses.
She said one possible change should be that loans given to students, while directly disbursed to the training institutions, should be consistently monitored so the targeted group receives it.
The current moratorium on the funds are badly affecting students who are desperate to complete their programmes.
She said the Pakatan Harapan government is in a transition period and there is a strong need to look at all appointees of the previous government.
Nurul said if they are able and capable of carrying out their duties, then they should remain and the same goes for programmes created by the previous government.
"The main problem in bringing about change is that the government may be too bureaucratic and slow moving. Efficiency should be the by-word," she said.
She added that one way of promoting and developing talent is by setting up a local Talent Corp that can identify the country's needs and how to meet them.
She said one of the biggest problems in this country is the mindset of the people, in other countries the job of a waiter is considered a specialised skill and people take it up as a profession.
She said here, it's considered a low-level job and most people pay no heed to those doing such a job.
"However, if this mindset can be changed, then there is a possibility of slowly replacing the foreign workers with locals," she added.
Nurul said this cannot be done overnight – although it should, and it can take five to 10 years to make this change – especially when political will is lacking.