The Education Ministry (MOE) is taking proactive measures to improve the quality of its vocational college programmes while at the same time ensuring the ‘marketability’ of its students.

Education Director-General Datuk Dr. Amin Senin stated the ministry had decided to bring some improvements in its vocational college programmes in line with current needs, new government policies, and recommendations and views of various stakeholders including parents, teachers and the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP).

Dr. Amin stated, “Every programme offered has been accredited with the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA), thereby enhancing the marketability of the trainees for the future.”

Under the Vocational College policy, Amin said the MOE’s target was to provide 70 per cent of the students as skilled workers in the industry, 20 per cent who would pursue their studies while 10 per cent who would take the path of entrepreneurship.

Simultaneously, he said the MOE also saw the need to provide a well-organized and effective academic management programme for student enrolment; effective human resource management, financial, administrative and student affairs, and continuous development of professionalism for teachers and officials.

He added that the MOE had conducted the Vocational Education Transformation in 2012, by providing a Diploma-level programme to provide students with skills and technology to meet workforce needs in the industry.   After almost seven years of the introduction of the vocational college diploma programmes, the ministry believed it was time that the programmes were prioritized on the standard and quality of education in line with the desire to produce high-quality trainers.

Amin added, “The MOE wishes to ensure industry certification and standards are followed and become the main reference for marketability, upgrading of skills and curriculum enhancement.”

Given that skilling is the need of the hour everywhere be it APAC or the US, the MOE’s move is in a right direction to keep up with the frenetic changes that are shaping the workplace and the skills sets to navigate the workplaces of the future.