Kuala lumpur: All MARA Skills Institutes (IKMs), MARA Higher Skills Colleges (KKTMs), and the MARA-Japan Industrial Institute (MJII) have been rebranded and will henceforth be known as TVETMARA. This change underscores the government's commitment to prioritizing technical and vocational education and training (TVET) as a key agenda for the nation's development.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the rebranding, which involves 25 institutions, is part of the efforts to enhance the new technical education ecosystem under MARA. This initiative aims to broaden educational pathways for students interested in the skills sector. Ahmad Zahid elaborated on the educational pathways available through TVETMARA, stating that it welcomes students from various educational backgrounds, including those who have completed Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), GiatMARA, and vocational colleges.
Ahmad Zahid further explained that TVETMARA's educational structure is organized according to skill levels. GiatMARA will offer Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM) Levels 2 and 3, whereas TVETMARA will cover Levels 4 and 5. Graduates have the opportunity to advance their studies at Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) for Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD programs or to enter the job market with relevant professional qualifications. He emphasized that even those who did not pass SPM or achieve any credits have the opportunity to advance their careers in the TVET field.
The collaboration between TVET institutions and industry players through memorandums of agreement has contributed significantly to the employability of graduates, with a current marketability rate of 98.7%, and IKM graduates achieving full employment. The government hopes that this rebranding will sustain these achievements and expand opportunities for graduates to pursue higher education, particularly in meeting the national demand for 60,000 engineers in the electrical and electronics sector.
In his earlier address, Ahmad Zahid highlighted that alongside the TVETMARA rebranding, the Seberang Perai Utara IKM will implement the Transformation Plan towards the National Electrical Energy Specialist Academy (NEST). This will be achieved through the NEST Draft Strategic Transformation Plan spanning 2025-2035.
He noted that the NEST framework will be executed in two primary development phases, focusing on Community and Industrial Development and emphasizing National Development. This implementation will be driven by four main focus areas, supported by five core strategies, and will encompass 29 strategic initiatives, propelled by eight key catalysts.