SHAH ALAM, Dec 6 — Skills-based technical and vocational education and training (TVET) gives school dropouts hope by providing them with space to explore their hidden talents and shine through different approaches, while still being significant in shaping their future.
Preconceived notions about the capabilities of students who do less than well are no longer relevant. TVET has proven its mettle in producing knowledgeable students who are sought after by renowned companies.
Some students even stand to earn tens of thousands of ringgit in income — clear proof of the fact that a skills-based path could help one achieve excellence.
This is no longer rhetoric. Statistics show that 95 per cent of Selayang Community College (KKSY) graduates gain placement in relevant industries, fortifying TVET’s reputation as a high-value career path.
Ia bukan lagi retorik. Statistik menunjukkan 95 peratus penuntut Kolej Komuniti Selayang (KKSY) menempatkan diri dalam industri berkaitan, mengukuhkan reputasi TVET kerjaya bernilai tinggi.
“We have a standard that after six months, (students) will gain jobs in certain fields, and there are students interested in business who open their own businesses,” said KKSY director Ahmad Rizal Omar.
KKSY offers automotive and mechanical, electric and electronics, information technology and multimedia, hospitality and tourism, and entrepreneurship and business programmes.
TVET opens a larger space for lower-income groups. For them, it is a platform to be free of the shackles of poverty by learning market-relevant skills.
According to Rizal, many KKSY students come from such a background.
“KKSY has 635 full-time students. As many as 404 of them are in the low-income category, involving 336 Malays, 23 Indians, three Chinese, and two Orang Asli,” he said.
Rizal said TVET could drive the country to developed status by shaping high-skilled human capital, pioneered by responsive, flexible and inclusive programmes.
“TVET’s main goal by 2030 is to strengthen the quality of skills training (programmes), improve graduate marketability, and make it the nation’s main choice of education,” he added.
TVET is no longer an alternative, but an education path that could guarantee a brighter future with a stable career and entrepreneurial potential, Rizal said.
