Its secretary-general, Harry Tan Huat Hock, said policies were always changing and there was poor planning, lack of coordination and low funding.

He also said technology training was also not up-to-date. For example, training on automotive engines still focused mainly on the carburettor when many vehicles now had hybrid engines.

“This is just one instance of how planning for human resource development, especially skills training related to future methodologies or trends, has not been implemented,” he said.

He also claimed that there were training certificates issued by some ministries that were not even recognised by the Public Service Department (PSD) and this needed to be resolved.

Tan was commenting on Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran’s announcement yesterday that he would request reports from the relevant agencies on skills institutes operating under other ministries.

Kulasegaran had said he wanted all the government institutes to be placed under one authority, adding that they should be competing with the private sector and not among themselves.

He had also expressed concern over the 30% drop in student enrolment into various skills training institutes over the past two years.

Tan had previously said NUTP wanted to have a meeting with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to resolve the issues related to TVET.

Concern over 30% drop in numbers enrolling in skills training institutes