Kota Kinabalu: Polytechnics and Community Colleges (POLYCC) recorded 39,623 new student enrolments for the 2026/2027 Academic Session I, representing a 133 per cent increase in intake.
Of the total, 32,513 students enrolled at polytechnics, while another 7,110 enrolled at community colleges nationwide.
The increase comes alongside strong graduate employability figures in 2025, with polytechnic graduates recording an employability rate of 98.5 per cent and community college graduates 98.8 per cent within six months of completing their studies.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Diraja Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) was setting new benchmarks through the Polytechnic and Community College Strategic Plan (PSPKK) 2026-2035.
He said the 10-year plan focused on strengthening governance, curriculum, digitalisation and industry collaboration.
“Our main goal by 2035 is clear – to produce a workforce that is ready to adapt to the dynamic changes in industry and technology, increase graduate employability, and drive sustainable and competitive economic growth through talent development,” he said.
Zambry said this when officiating the 2026 Sabah Zone Polytechnic and Community College Convocation at Dewan Rafflesia, Politeknik Kota Kinabalu, here, Monday.
A total of 2,052 graduates were celebrated at the zone-level convocation, including 415 graduates from Politeknik Kota Kinabalu.
The Sabah event is part of a series of zone-based convocations nationwide, celebrating a total of 29,609 POLYCC graduates this year.
Zambry said POLYCC had also successfully transformed 11,299 students from the humanities and vocational arts stream of the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) into graduates in technology and engineering fields.
He said the initiative expanded access to inclusive education while providing new and competitive talent in line with industry requirements.
The POLYCC ecosystem is currently supported by 36 polytechnics and 106 community colleges nationwide, with total enrolment exceeding 100,000 students.
Industry collaboration has also been strengthened through 23,580 industry partners nationwide, with Politeknik Kota Kinabalu alone having strategic collaborations with 236 local and international industry partners.
Meanwhile, Polytechnic and Community College Education Director-General Dr Shamsuri Abdullah said TVET graduates played an important role as agents of change and key drivers of the country’s automation, digitalisation and green technology sectors.
He also urged graduates to make full use of the practical skills they had acquired and embrace lifelong learning as a foundation for career advancement.
