Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the government would build more community colleges (CC) nationwide, under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP). He said the colleges, of which nine had been marked for Sarawak, would be set up in stages. Nevertheless, for the desired target to be achieved, strategic collaborations between the institutions and industry were necessary, he said.

"These collaborations should be multi faceted, solid and holistic; they must encompass dimensions such as training, research, contribution, employment, expertise and facilities. In this regard they will be able to provide that golden opportunity for the students to prepare themselves for employment in the real world," he said in conjunction with a strategic collaboration ceremony involving Sarawak Community Colleges and High Impact Industry companies at Kuching CC.

British Council commentary:

The Ministry of Education is responsible for vocational training during compulsory education. Since 2010 there has been an increased emphasis on school-age and school-based vocational training. MOE is tasked with establishing vocational colleges for upper secondary school students in each of the 13 states. Vocational and technical education are also specifically mentioned in the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 Preliminary Report, as one of the major education pathways which prepare students for career requiring expertise. This is to meet the current labour shortage of skilled workers and the ever growing industry demand for vocational graduates in the job market.

One of the emphasis of Budget 2015 is mainstreaming Technical and Vocational Education. For this, the Government will increase the student intake in vocational and community colleges through the Vocational and Technical Transformation programme and upgrade colleges. For this purpose, the Government will allocate RM1.2 billion.