Kuala lumpur: The marketability rate of Agriculture Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates under the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) has increased to 81.23 percent last year, up from 78.1 percent in 2023. Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu highlighted this growth during his address at the Agriculture TVET@KPKM Carnival, emphasizing the upward trend over the past five years, despite the marketability rate still being below the national average. TVET is seen as a crucial catalyst for nurturing young talent skilled in both theory and practical applications.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohamad Sabu underscored the need for a new approach in the agriculture sector to enhance productivity, aligning with the Industrial Revolution 4.0. This involves the integration of robotic technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI), all of which aim to maximize productivity with minimal resources. He noted that modern agriculture now involves high technology, automation, drones, and smart farming, moving beyond traditional methods.
The Agriculture TVET@KPKM Carnival brought together 460 agriculture TVET students and over 200 employees from 16 TVET training institutes within the country, showcasing 45 new innovations. Mohamad Sabu also presented data on the Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM) graduates, revealing that the highest marketability rate was in the poultry field at 100 percent. This was followed by graduates in the ruminant field and small machinery maintenance, with marketability rates of 93.2 percent and 92.3 percent, respectively. Both the catch fishery and padi production fields had a marketability rate of 91.7 percent.
Since the inception of the National Agriculture Skill Training Programme in 1969, the ministry has produced 25,783 graduates. Mohamad Sabu expressed confidence that with the addition of skilled labor, the national agrofood industry could boost its competitiveness in the global market and secure a continued food supply for the country.