KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi called on all employers to offer a starting salary of RM3,000 to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the National TVET Council chairman, said the proposed starting salary was appropriate as TVET graduates are skilled workers who have undergone skill courses.

"Skilled workers will improve the productivity of the industry and this increased productivity will reduce the costs to produce the end products or services in the long run. So, this is reasonable because they are trained workers that meet the demands of the market.”

He said this to reporters after witnessing the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation for Transformation of TVET Programme between the government and government-linked companies and private companies at the Kuala Lumpur Industrial Training Institute here today.

Ahmad Zahid said the minimum wage of between RM1,500 and RM2,208 is insufficient or inappropriate for TVET graduates.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid, who is also Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said the government would also want to see the optimal effectiveness of TVET programmes in producing more skilled workers, especially with the coordination among 12 relevant ministries.

He said the government had also decided that TVET students be given credit transfer flexibility to pursue a Bachelor, Masters or even doctorate degree.

At the same time, Ahmad Zahid said the government also targeted to reduce dependence on foreign skilled workers to 25 per cent by 2030.

"Developed countries in the East do not need foreign workers, they use 100 per cent local manpower. Malaysia needs to look in that direction,” he said.

He said the recruitment of foreign workers should be reduced and be limited to the 3D (dirty, dangerous and difficult) sector, while for other sectors, priority should be to be given to local workers.

Earlier, Ahmad Zahid witnessed the signing of 10 memoranda of cooperation inked by Minister of Human Resources V. Sivakumar with industry players such as Petronas, Gamuda Berhad, Sunway Services, DRB Hicom, Berjaya Corporation, Redbeat Academy Sdn Bhd (Airasia Academy), Daikin Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Bermaz Auto Berhad, Malaysian Technology Development Corporation Sdn Bhd (MTDC) and Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Holdings Berhad (MHB).

Through the memoranda, industry strategic partners will be directly involved in the implementation of the TVET programmes through the development of curriculum and training materials, donation and sharing of facilities and equipment, expertise, competency development of teaching staff and financing of training programmes.

Ahmad Zahid said the signing of the 10 memoranda was the beginning of the effort to empower TVET to meet the demand of industry players and avoid mismatch among the graduates.

He also targeted 100 of such memoranda to be signed with private companies by end of this year. — Bernama