BEIJING, Aug 21 — Malaysia is looking forward to continuous cooperation between government agencies and industry players with the Chinese government, to enhance Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in both countries.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad said Malaysia and China have long enjoyed harmonious bilateral ties — both in education and industrial partnership.

"The cooperation between industry in Malaysia and China plays a major role in providing work experience to many TVET students and graduates,” she said in her recorded speech at the First World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference here.

The hybrid conference, themed ‘Vocational and Technical Education Development in the Post-Pandemic Era — New Changes, New Ways and New Skills’ was represented and attended face-to-face by the acting director of Education Malaysia Beijing (EMB) Jason Choy Min Sheng, in Tianjin, northern China.

Noraidi said TVET institutions in Malaysia are already embarking on various collaboration efforts with Chinese partners, such as Huawei, the Alibaba Group and ZTE.

To date, Malaysia has 1,295 institutions that offer TVET programmes from federal ministries, state skills centres and private providers, she said.

Noraini said the TVET education track has tremendous potential in producing a competent workforce in related industries to meet the socioeconomic objectives of the country.

The conference, organised by the Chinese Ministry of Education and the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, was attended by 500 physical invitees and involved the delivery of speeches from 13 education ministers, including from Argentina, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Ethiopia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, Switzerland and Venezuela. — Bernama