Vocational students to fill most jobs by 2020

A large portion of the 3.3 million jobs expected to be created by 2020 will be filled by 70 per cent of students in the vocational stream. Deputy-Director of School Operation, Technical and Vocational Education Division, Education Ministry, Zainuren Mohd Nor, said that under the Vocational Education Transformation programme, the courses offered would be based on the demands of the workforce markets. "Vocational education provides opportunities for students, especially those who prefer doing practical training than attending academic classes, to get better careers," he said at a 'Outreach Media' programme at the Beaufort Vocational College here recently. He said the Education Ministry would work with other ministries, as well as the private sector, to meet the demands of workforce market by 2020. "Currently, we are working to increase the enrolment of students in vocational education to 40 per cent, from only five per cent now.