Empowering Indigenous Youth: A Multidimensional Conceptual Framework of TVET Capabilities in Malaysia

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) serve as a strategic catalyst for Malaysia’s aspiration to become a high-income nation. Despite aggressive policy interventions, the participation and completion rates among the Orang Asli (indigenous) youth remain disproportionately low, signaling a persistent systemic gap. Current educational models predominantly adopt a "one-size-fits-all" approach, often neglecting the complex socio-cultural and environmental dynamics unique to marginalised communities. This paper proposes a robust conceptual framework that synthesises Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach with Matachi’s Capacity Development Model. By shifting the focus from mere economic output to holistic empowerment, the framework identifies critical conversion factors across three interconnected levels: individual readiness, organisational support, and institutional environment. This multidimensional lens explores how personal agency, culturally responsive pedagogy, and inclusive policy frameworks facilitate the transformation of vocational resources into real opportunities (capabilities) and meaningful socio-economic outcomes (functioning). The proposed framework offers a novel theoretical contribution to indigenous education literature and provides a strategic roadmap for policymakers to design TVET programs that are not only accessible but also culturally resonant with the Orang Asli community.

Orang Asli, TVET, Capability Approach, Matachi Model, Indigenous Empowerment

1. All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG). (2024). Policy reports on multidimensional poverty and delivery systems for marginalized communities in Malaysia. APPGM-SDG Secretariat. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Azizan, F. N., Ibrahim, A., Olaitan, A. A., Rami, A. A. M., & Khori, H. M. (2024). Strategic planning to build social trust in Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) for indigenous youth in Kelantan, Malaysia. Journal of Ecohumanism, 3(8), 1373–1381. doi.org [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Awang, N., et al. (2022). Ekosistem pendidikan dan faktor keciciran murid Orang Asli: Satu tinjauan literatur. Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 4(2), 45–58. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Ibrahim, A., Olaitan, A. A., Jazmina, W. N., Simin, M. H. A., & Nizam, M. S. (2023). Capacity building of indigenous youth through skills and career training programs in Malaysia. ISVS e-journal, 10(6), 151–163. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Matachi, K. (2006). Capacity-building: A guide for practitioners. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Mohd Nawi, M. Z., & Mohd Anuar, M. H. (2023). Pengaruh peranan ibu bapa terhadap kemasukan pelajar ke institusi teknikal dan vokasional: Satu kajian tinjauan sistematik. Online Journal for TVET Practitioners, 8(1), 67–74. doi.org [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Sen, A. (1999). Development as freedom. Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Zulkefli, A., Don, A. G., & Abdullah, M. Y. M. (2023). Pendidikan sebagai faktor pemilihan pekerjaan dalam kalangan remaja Orang Asli. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), 8(4), e002225. doi.org [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Sukri, N. R., Ithnin, Z., & See, Y. P. (2026). EARLY EXPOSURE, FUTURE SKILLS: ACCEPTANCE OF TVET AMONG KAMPUNG SAHOM’S ORANG ASLI PRIMARY PUPILS. Jurnal Kejuruteraan, Teknologi and Sains Sosial (JKTSS), 12(1), 180-191. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Wahab, N. A., & Mustapha, R. (2022). Exploring the challenges of indigenous students in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Journal of Technical Education and Training, 14(1), 45-56. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Wahab, N. A., et al. (2021). Indigenous students’ engagement in education: A systematic literature review. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, 14(3), 282-301. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Economic Planning Unit (EPU). (2021). Twelfth Malaysia Plan, 2021-2025: A Prosperous, Inclusive, Sustainable Malaysia. Prime Minister’s Department. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (JAKOA). (2021). Pelan Strategik Kemajuan Orang Asli 2021-2030. Kementerian Pembangunan Luar Bandar. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. UNESCO. (2020). Global Education Monitoring Report 2020: Inclusion and education: All means all. UNESCO Publishing. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Salleh, M. J., & Ahmad, A. R. (2021). Cabaran penglibatan belia Orang Asli dalam bidang kemahiran: Satu tinjauan literatur. Jurnal Pendidikan Malaysia, 46(1). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Joncas, J. A., Edward, K., Moisan, S., Grisé, X. M., & Lepage, J. (2023). Indigenous people in vocational education and training from a social justice perspective: an overview of international literature. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 75(1), 63-86. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Ghising, D. (2025). Inclusion of Indigenous People in Technical and Vocational Training. Asian Journal of Population Sciences, 4(1), 86-100. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Gangoso, P. O. P. (2023). A framework for technical vocational education and training for indigenous peoples in the Philippines. East Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 2(4), 1727-1748. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Cameron, M., & Rexe, D. (2022). Community-Based Access to Apprenticeship: An Indigenous Work-Integrated Learning Model. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 23(2), 203-218. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study