PETALING JAYA: Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) courses are gaining significant traction among Malaysian youth, with enrolment soaring to higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Figures by several local polytechnic institutions across the country have shown an increase in intake this year, boosted by greater public awareness of alternative paths to future careers and government promotions.
Many of them expect the momentum to continue in the immediate future.
Economist Dr Geoffrey Williams said the high enrolment rate in TVET institutions could be due to challenges in youth getting hired after leaving school.
“Another reason is that TVET courses are cheaper and often shorter than university degrees, so funding is less of a barrier and graduates get to earn a wage more quickly,” he added.
Increased awareness and the government’s emphasis on TVET as a viable alternative have helped too.
Melaka’s Merlimau Polytechnic said Deputy Prime Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s appointment as chairman of the National TVET Council has led to TVET courses being promoted more widely to the masses.
It said students were mainly attracted to TVET courses due to continuous efforts by the government to promote such courses among youth.
The numbers bear evidence to this newfound enthusiasm for TVET courses.
Sultan Azlan Shah Polytechnic (PSAS) in Behrang, Perak, saw 1,052 students enrolling as at August this year, its highest ever. Last year, it recorded only 661 registrations. In 2022, it had 560 registrations, 2021 (725) and 2020 (565).
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Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, PSAS recorded 982 student enrolments in 2019 and 794 in 2018.
“The number may increase as there are still appeal offers involving prospective students,” it said.
A similar trend was observed at Merlimau Polytechnic, which had 1,345 students enrolling compared with last year’s 1,163 and 2022’s 883 registrations. In the years before the pandemic, it had 1,099 students enrolled in 2019 and 1,015 in 2018.
Sultan Idris Shah Polytechnic in Sungai Ayer Tawar, Selangor, recorded 800 enrolments for the first 2024/2025 session, compared with 625 students enrolled in the first session of 2023/2024 and 538 for 2022/2023.
“There has been a steady increase each year,” said Sultan Idris Shah Polytechnic when contacted.
Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Polytechnic (PSA) in Shah Alam, Selangor, registered 1,033 new students this year and the number is expected to peak at 1,288 students.
According to PSA, its intake for the first session of the 2024/2025 academic year had surged by over 30% this year compared with last year.
Tasek Gelugor Metro Polytechnic also registered an increase in its student intake in 2023 and 2024, registering 120 students for each intake session, its highest since before the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020.
With enrolments peaking before the end of 2024, many polytechnics are expecting student intakes to increase in the coming months.
PSAS said it has 14 diploma programmes under its civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and trade departments.
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Its three most popular diploma programmes are Electrical Engineering with 172 students, Accounting (126), and Mechanical Engineering (119 students).
Merlimau Polytechnic said its most popular diploma courses were Culinary Arts, Electrical Engineering, and Foundation in Technology Engineering.
It added that the employability rate of its graduates was 99.4%, with an average starting monthly salary of RM2,200.
For Sultan Idris Shah Polytechnic, its top three most popular diploma courses were Information Technology, Foodservice Halal Practice, and Tourism Management.
It said its graduate employability rate was 94.3% in 2021, 98% in 2022 and 97.5% in 2023, with average monthly salaries of RM1,800 to RM2,100.
It also said the main factor driving the rise in student enrolments was public awareness regarding polytechnics and community colleges, and the government’s comprehensive National TVET Policy 2030.
It noted that the National TVET Policy encompasses existing policies such as the National Education Policy, the National Higher Education Policy, the Education Act 1996, the National Skills Development Act, and the Malaysia Qualifications Act (MQA).
Sultan Idris Shah Polytechnic said schools have also started to set up a TVET education stream by offering Vocational Subject Programmes (MPV), as well as Upper Secondary Vocational (PVMA) and Upper Secondary Industrial Apprenticeship (Pima).
“This exposes school leavers to TVET at an early stage and charts their interests and paths directly as a feeder for TVET institutions such as polytechnics and community colleges,” it added.
The National TVET Policy, which was launched in June, aims to provide skilled labour for the country’s workforce needs in emerging technology fields.
