Education opportunities in Malaysia
Published 27 October 2014
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1. Market potential
The Malaysian education and training market is a priority market for UKTI Education owing to:
- Potential for significant future business
- Potential opportunities existing across a number of sub-sectors – including schools (K-12), technical and vocational education and training (TVET), English language training, higher education (HE), and professional training for the financial sector
- Education having been identified by the Malaysian government as a National Key Economic Area (NKEA) under Malaysia’s Economic Transformation Programme 2010-2020 with initiatives currently underway to develop the whole spectrum of education provision in the country, from early years through to professional skills training
- UK education and training expertise being highly valued in Malaysia across a range of industry verticals
2. Large-scale education and training opportunities in 2015/16
Malaysia is a UKTI Education priority market and a Malaysian high value education and training opportunity has been identified based on the following areas:
- Supporting capacity building in the higher education (HE) sector
- Improving the quality and quantity of industry-led TVET provision
- English language training for graduates and for business
- Increasing private and international school provision in areas of urban development and supporting the transformation of the school system
3. Additional market information
3.1 Economic context
Malaysia is a rising regional and international player economically and is seen as a model of growth and stability with a vibrant economy. In 2013, GDP was $313.2 billion with an average annual GDP growth rate of 4.7%. Malaysia presents opportunities for both trade and investment and is a good entry point to the wider Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) market.
3.2 Education sector overview
Malaysia’s goal is to reach developed nation status by 2020 and it has published an Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) to support this. Education and human capital development feature heavily in the ETP, which targets the creation of 3.3 million jobs with the aim to ensure 50% of the workforce is recognised as skilled.
Malaysia has also published The National Education Blueprint (2013-2025), covering pre-school to upper secondary education and identifying 11 operational and strategic shifts to transform the education system. Under the national education system, the government provides 11 years of free primary and secondary education via a common national curriculum. Further education is subject to the individual’s academic performance and financial capability with school leavers choosing to continue their education in schools to obtain a pre-university qualification, or further their education at public or private tertiary or higher institutions.
The UK is already contributing to Malaysia’s education goals, with a number of highly-regarded UK schools, colleges and universities having opened campuses in Malaysia.