- management@smallchangesmy.org
When the government threw the MCO blanket over Malaysia in 2020, it did not only help in curbing the spread of the COVID-19 virus, but also created a new growing trend. Instead of idly whiling away time, Malaysians explored and learnt new skills. Youth who never once stepped into the kitchen were experimenting with cooking, picking up new instruments, attending online courses and the list went on. Conversations about these new skills blossomed and people came to see how there was so much more to be learnt outside the classroom.
When the United Nations General Assembly coined 15 July as World Youth Skills Day in 2014, it was to highlight the significance of youth being adept in “skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship”.
Fast forward to today, it provides a timely reminder that youth and students are to be prepared for life beyond pen-on-paper examinations. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing people in various industries to upskill and retrain, it is now more important than ever to equip youth with relevant skills to navigate challenges in the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) world of the 21st century.
This year’s World Youth Skills Day carries the theme of “Skilling teachers, trainers and youth for a transformative future”. With the wealth of experience and knowledge that educators harbor, they form an important bridge between youths and the workforce. By enlightening and inspiring, educators become the beacon of light for youths to take on the world with essential skills. Indeed, it takes both the empowering and the empowered to build a nation where youths are equipped with the right mindset and skills to overcome obstacles.
The constant change in workforce dynamics today favours those equipped with agility and adaptability. As the UN claims, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) reduces access barriers to the labour market by imparting relevant skill sets that are recognised and certified.
In Malaysia, TVET is gaining traction with its increased prominence in the 11th and 12th Malaysia Plan, an outline of our government’s development policies and strategies. Students can look into institutions like polytechnics, vocational colleges and technical institutes for TVET programmes to master practical skills and knowledge.
In fulfilling the skilled manpower needs in our nation’s industry, training youths play an irreplaceable role. Equipped with youthful zeal and relevant skills, our country’s young people would be able to flourish despite impending hurdles. It is therefore vital to teach young people the ways of life, the skills for survival and the techniques to thrive, for a transformative future.
Written by: Jeslyn Chng
Designed by: Sabrina
