ABSTRACT
Malaysia's aspirations to achieve developed country status have been fuelled by several decades of heady economic growth. Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) would have to be an integral part of human capital deepening. Students opting for the vocational stream then complete 3 years of junior vocational education, in parallel with those enrolled for 3 years in lower secondary education in the academic stream. The next opportunity for transfer to vocational education occurs when students are enrolled in upper secondary education. At the policy level, what matters is policy clarity in setting a strategic direction for the country and involvement of key stakeholders to ensure their needs are met. Effective system oversight also requires proper institutional coordination and harmonisation of training standards. The framework governing which also shows the legislation governing both institutions and standards. That TVET is more receptive to what the industry wants does not mean the industry should get whatever it wants.
