PUTRAJAYA, June 6 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today officially launched the GITC TVET Placement Centre (GTPC), the nation’s first integrated national talent placement platform aimed at bridging the gap between industry and skilled talent.

The platform, launched in conjunction with the National TVET Day 2026 celebration here will serve as a structured ecosystem connecting students, graduates, institutions and industry to facilitate industrial training, apprenticeships and employment opportunities.

He said the initiative reflected the government’s commitment to positioning TVET as a primary pathway to quality employment, higher income, social mobility and national economic competitiveness.

“TVET is no longer a secondary pathway but the primary route to quality employment, better income, social mobility and national economic competitiveness,” he said in his speech at the launch ceremony held here today.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the National TVET Council chairman, said National TVET Day now symbolises the central role of TVET in Malaysia’s development agenda.

However, he noted that several structural challenges remained, including the mismatch between training programmes and current industry technologies, low wage perceptions that continue to stigmatise TVET careers, as well as gaps in instructor quality and training facilities that affect graduate readiness.

He said the launch of TVET 2.0 earlier today marked a new phase in the country’s efforts to create a more responsive and industry-driven TVET ecosystem.

As part of this transformation, he called on industry players to assume greater responsibility in talent development by acting as co-investors through the provision of training opportunities, facilities, mentorship and employment pathways.

“Investment in TVET is not a cost. It is an investment in productivity, competitiveness and the future of our nation,” he said.

Through GTPC, he said, industry players can register talent requirements and offer industrial training placements, apprenticeships and jobs, while students and graduates can build professional profiles, showcase competencies and secure employment opportunities.

The platform also enables institutions to monitor student progress more effectively and strengthen collaboration with industry partners.

Ahmad Zahid said the initiative would support skills-based hiring practices by emphasising competencies, practical capabilities and lifelong learning rather than academic qualifications alone.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid also highlighted the role of the Government-Industry TVET Coordination Body (GITC) as a strategic bridge linking government agencies, industry players and educational institutions to better align talent supply with workforce demand.

He urged GITC to evolve beyond its coordination role and become a catalyst for systemic change, particularly in high-growth sectors such as aerospace, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, renewable energy, cybersecurity and robotics. — Bernama