TVET is an essential tool for innovation and human resource development as it helps bridge the skills gap and equip individuals with the necessary knowledge to create and implement new ideas and technologies. Apart from emphasizing the importance of innovation and talent development in economy growth, this keynote speech also focuses on the roles of TVET in promoting innovation and talent development which is crucial to cater for the needs of various industry and business sectors. In the final section, the challenges and strategies in promoting innovation and talent development will be presented. 

Dr LAI CHEE SERN is the member of the Faculty of Technical and Vocational Education, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) since 2004. He is also on a joint-appointment with the Malaysia Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (MyRIVET) as the Deputy Director. He earned his B.Eng in Mechanical Engineering and M.Ed in Technical and Vocational Education from UTHM in 2002 and 2004 respectively. In 2010, he obtained his PhD in Engineering Education at the University of Bremen, Germany. He is actively involved in research and consultation projects related to TVET, TVET-Teachers’ Training as well as teaching and learning.  He was invited as keynote speaker at several national and international conferences and published more than 150 journal articles, proceedings papers, book chapters, and books. He is the chief editor of Online Journal for TVET Practitioners, Advisory Board Member for the Journal of Social Sciences and Technical Education, International Scientific Council for Practicum Journal, and guest editor for the journal of TVET@Asia. In terms of teaching, he has experiences in teaching undergraduate program courses, such as Welding Technology, Non-Destruction Test, and Solids Mechanics, as well as postgraduate program courses, such as Statistics and Research Methodology. On top of that, he has been supervising students’ research projects at bachelor, master, and PhD levels.