Kuala Lumpur (VNA) - The Malaysian Government is identifying Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a core pillar of the national education system to develop a highly skilled workforce capable of meeting the demands of the future economy.
The National Education Blueprint (RPN) 2026-2035 was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Jan 20 in Putrajaya and is jointly led by the Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) through the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2026-2035 and the Ministry of Education through the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2026-2035.
The key mechanism to achieve the objective is the introduction of the Malaysian Learning Matrix at Year Four and Form Three levels, which enables students’ potential and talents to be identified at an earlier stage. This allows selection into Vocational Colleges, the Upper Secondary Vocational Programme (PVMA) and the Upper Secondary School Industry Apprenticeship Programme (PIMA) to be carried out more systematically, based on students’ genuine abilities rather than chance.
The skills emphasised under the RPN go beyond basic competencies, focusing instead on practical and technical skills that are forward-looking and aligned with future industry needs. These skills require students to operate at the highest levels of thinking, as outlined in Bloom’s Taxonomy, particularly the ability to create innovative and effective solutions to complex problems.
"This is the true spirit of TVET education...one that is application-driven, innovation-focused and oriented towards employability," Dr Muhamad Afzamiman Aripin, a senior lecturer at the Department of Advanced TVET, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), was quoted by Bernama news agency as saying.
Looking ahead to the 2035 target, Muhamad Afzamiman said Malaysia must prepare through three key phases: reshaping societal perceptions to elevate the prestige of TVET, expanding access to support systems, and strengthening graduate employability through close collaboration with industry.
With the integration of TVET into the mainstream via the Learning Matrix and its early introduction at the primary school level, Malaysia is laying the foundation for a generation that is agile, skilled and resilient in facing increasingly complex global challenges, he said./.
