ONLY seven per cent of students across the country are taking up Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) after Form Three.

Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan said various efforts had been implemented to increase student entry into TVET institutions and vocational colleges, besides giving them exposure on career prospects after graduating.

“The Education Ministry has been transforming the TVET since 2012 to uplift the status of this stream as a premier stream to help realise the government’s aspiration of meeting the country’s need for skilled workers by 2020,” he said in reply to a question from Nurul Izzah Anwar (PKR-Lembah Pantai) in the Dewan Rakyat today.

To a supplementary question from Dr Mansor Abd Rahman (BN-Sik) on the ministry’s strategies to increase rural students’ enrolment in vocational colleges, Kamalanathan said the measures included making publicity broadcasts via radio, newspaper advertisements and collaboration with civil society organisations.

He said online applications for TVET institutions for the 2018 session were open and many applications had been received.

Besides the Education Ministry, six other ministries involved in implementing promoting TVET are the Human Resources; Higher Education; Works; Youth and Sports; Rural and Regional Development; and Agriculture and Agro-based Industry ministries. – Bernama, November 20, 2017.