Polytechnic graduands always scouted by employers - Noraini

PUTRAJAYA: Polytechnic graduands are always being scouted by employers despite the country being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, says Higher Education Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad.

She said based on the Graduands Detection Survey Report, the marketability rate of polytechnic graduands was over 90 per cent during a five-year period.

"In 2018, for example, their recorded marketability rate was 96.1 per cent and 96.7 per cent in 2019.

"Although there was a slight decline in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their marketability rate was 91.2 per cent, still exceeding the national rate," she said when officiating at the Roundtable Meeting of the Department of Polytechnic and Community College Education (JPPKK)'s Advisory Council, here, today.

To ensure that the polytechnic education curriculum remained relevant, active involvement of the industries was much needed for the curriculum to be industry-driven, she added.

According to her, several industry-based learning approaches had been drawn up such as the WBL@PolyCC, Structured Internship Programme (SIP), CEO@PolyCC and Industry on Campus (IOC) programme.

Noraini said there were seven WBL@PolyCC programmes implemented that integrated academic learning with its actual application at the workplace.

She said 21 industries had offered the SIP to 2,188 final-year students for industrial training and then offering them jobs with Maybank and Talent Corp among the employers.

The CEO@PolyCC programme continued with the appointment of 31 industry captains sharing their knowledge and valuable experience with the polytechnic students, she added.

At today's meeting, Tan Sri Sufri Md Zin was appointed as the new JPPKK Industry Advisory Council chairman, replacing Tan Sri Azman Haron Shah while 21 industry captains were appointed as members of the council.

This advisory council is a platform for the industry captains to provide feedback and suggestions on improving the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ecosystem.

-- BERNAMA