Conceptual Framework for Sustainable Employability Skills for TVET Graduates in Malaysia

Abstract

Malaysia has expressed a vision to achieve a High-Income Nation since 1991 and one of the required criteria is the development of human capital. Since then, Malaysia is actively focusing on the initiative and set out in national policies such as the Eleventh Malaysia Plan (11MP), Industry 4.0 Policy and TVET 4.0 Framework. In a report by the World Bank in 2014, it shows that highly skilled workers can be produced through education especially in the field of Technical and Vocational Education & Training (TVET). Therefore, one of the important measures is to ensure that graduates in Malaysia are equipped with competent skills. This problem may be observed in the fact that the country's unemployment rate is rising from 3% to 4.7 percent in August 2020. Graduates' employability skills are one of the most important criteria in addressing manpower need. TVET institutions must guarantee that its graduates are prepared to enter the workforce and satisfy the demands of the industry. Thus, the purpose of this concept paper is to discuss and propose a conceptual framework of sustainable employability skills. This study uses the literature review method from previous studies. This study is intended to contribute to the development of the notion of sustainable employability skills in TVET education, which will aid in the development of positive human capital.