ABSTRACT
Human resource development has been identifi ed as the most critical factor in enabling Malaysia to take the quantum leap from a productionbased economy to a knowledge-based economy and becoming a fully developed nation by the year 2020. The knowledge-based economy is one where the generation and utilization of knowledge contribute signifi cantly to economic growth and wealth creation. The critical factor
needed in the new economy is therefore the capacity of human capital to create, innovate and generate new ideas as well as apply technology and exercise superior entrepreneurial skills in order to compete well in a global environment. For this capacity to be acquired, the skill intensity of the workforce population has to be increased signifi cantly. More funding and programmes for education and training are also required. This chapter examines Malaysia’s preparation for a knowledge-based economy in terms of producing a trained, skilled and well-educated workforce. It presents the general trends in terms of the goal and purposes of vocational education and training in Malaysia as refl ected in the country’s national agenda through its Five-year Plans. The analysis is based on content analysis of the Malaysian Government Five-year Plans and other related documents.
