Commenting on a suggestion by Center for Market Education CEO Carmelo Ferlito, Sarawak Teachers’ Union president Adam Prakash Abdullah said students with academic qualifications would be in an advantageous position if they were to have technical knowledge as well.
“Every year, we produce students with excellent examination results. However, not all of them get places in universities and colleges,” he told FMT.
“If TVET is available as a supplementary choice, many students could then further their training in skills development. They will then be able to meet the high demand for skilled workers in the country.
“Many of these job opportunities are now taken by foreign workers.”
In a recent interview with FMT, Ferlito said secondary school education should be reformed so that people could enter the job market without tertiary education.
Adam noted that many jobs required training through TVET programmes and that the courses were designed to prepare students for jobs not only in manufacturing but also in business and the creative fields.
“Candidates who have certified vocational skills and training can easily find work in various job sectors,” he said.
“TVET will give room and opportunity for our youths to get and also create jobs. This can end our reliance on foreign workers,” he said.
Adam added that jobs requiring expert technical skills were rewarding and the public should therefore recognise the importance of TVET education.
PAGE chairman Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said TVET would make it unnecessary for people to acquire skills by trial and error.
Speaking to FMT, she called for a rebranding of TVET and an assurance that schools would be appropriately equipped to deliver the programmes.
“While the programmes may traditionally comprise welding, woodwork, tailoring and domestic science, TVET appears to have now evolved into digital TVET as well,” she said.
“If the focus is on digital TVET, then there will definitely be global demand.”
She added that jobs requiring TVET qualifications would have to pay well in order for the public to stop seeing TVET as second-class education.
In April, Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar said TVET graduates should not be looked down upon as they were key players in the nation’s future.
She said the technical skills acquired were valuable assets for youths.
Nurul Izzah headed the TVET Empowerment Committee from June to December 2018, under the then Pakatan Harapan administration.