TRAINING Malaysians for high-wage jobs is now the focus of the government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) schemes, says Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin.

“Our focus is no longer graduate employability; our target is premium wages,” he said, adding that this refers to a monthly salary of RM4,000 and above.

Khaled said that about 10% of Malaysian Technical University Network graduates are receiving premium wages, while about 38% of TVET graduates from public universities are receiving salaries of RM2,500 and above.

“About 0.9% of polytechnic graduates with a diploma are receiving premium wages while 6.1% are receiving RM2,500 and above.”

To achieve this aim, Khaled said TVET institutions are reforming their courses and programmes with active input from industry players and the job market.

“We will prepare new programmes that fulfill the needs of the country and industry,” he told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

He was responding to a question by Datuk Muslimin Yahaya (PN-Sungai Besar) on the government’s effort to improve the wages of TVET graduates and ensure that technical jobs are taken up by Malaysians instead of foreigners.

Khaled said between 2018 and 2023, there were 256,901 TVET courses under the Education Ministry.

Of these, 71,825 were in public universities, 185,076 in private polytechnics and 45,497 in community colleges.

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Picture: Solid career path: Khaled speaking during a session at the Dewan Rakyat. — Bernama