Carsome, a leading CAR e-commerce platform, is strengthening Malaysia’s tech and human capital ecosystem through its Carsome Academy’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) offerings. Jiun Ee Teoh, the CEO of Carsome Academy, expressed excitement in contributing the company’s knowledge and experience towards creating high-quality jobs and opportunities that will make Malaysia more attractive to world-class talents.
Carsome Academy was established to meet the industry’s demand for skilled automotive talents and create positive social impact in local communities. The CEO believes that the government’s efforts to elevate TVET institutions, like Carsome Academy, is a solid opportunity for Malaysian youths to upskill and build a brighter future.
V. Sivakumar, the Human Resources Minister, praised Carsome’s achievements as Malaysia’s first ‘tech unicorn’ and credited their effort to digitalize the vehicle purchasing process for creating new job and business opportunities. He also lauded Carsome Academy for providing opportunities for the country’s youth to acquire skills in the automotive sector and complimented the academy’s efforts in line with the government’s effort to elevate TVET institutions in the country.
Carsome Academy, a National Dual Training System(Sistem Latihan Dual Nasional — SLDN) training center accredited by the Department of Skills Development under the Human Resources Ministry, was established in January 2021 to offer Malaysian youths technical education and increase their employability. The academy has since expanded to Thailand and Indonesia, and it is an accredited center in both countries.
Carsome Academy's trainers & coaches attended NDTS Induction course, organised by ISE Education Sdn Bhd
FOR the nation to move forward in tandem with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) and beyond, there is a clear need for a well-trained technical workforce with skill sets that are present- and future-ready as well as future-resilient.
Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) programmes have always been seen as the vehicle to prepare aptly-skilled human capital but somehow the general perspective is that they fall short in terms of the level of skills and knowledge needed for the industry to forge ahead.
Graduates who have qualified from TVET institutions previously do not have a clear career pathway to further their studies and secure jobs that are highly technical in nature.
To create more career pathways and opportunities for TVET students, the Education Ministry with the Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN) comprising four universities — Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) , Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) , Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) and Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) — and the professional body for technologists and technicians, the Malaysia Board of Technologists (MBOT), have collaborated in establishing newly developed Bachelor of Technology Degree (BTech) programmes in specific technology fields.
Some universities have introduced several of the courses last month at the beginning of the 2019/2020 academic year while other universities will make the courses available in September next year.
The curriculum is more practical and flexible to meet the challenges of the IR 4.0.
The articulation process entails matching the courses, requirements and coursework at vocational colleges with that at higher education institutions.
“KVs start enrolling students as young as 16, post PMR/PT3 examination towards Diploma Vokasional Malaysia (DVM) through Sijil Vokasional Malaysia (SVM) without SPM. That posed a problem for the graduates should they decide to pursue a Bachelor’s degree and beyond at public universities. Other than that they often face difficulty in transitioning from TVET-based education to an academic-based degree programme,” he explained.
Tan Sri Ahmad Zaidee Laidin
The entry level requirement for BTech programmes in MTUN is not based solely on SPM qualification, Ahmad Zaidee highlighted.
For DVM graduates, most of the candidates have taken the equivalency courses to SPM’s Bahasa Melayu dan Sejarah, namely Bahasa Melayu 1104 as well as Sejarah 1251. For DKM and DLKM graduates, most of the students have taken SPM which already includes Bahasa Melayu and Sejarah.
In any case this nation-building initiative is not met, MTUN has agreed the student can enrol for the courses during their tenure years of BTech studies.
“MBOT through Technicians Act 2015 (Act 768) has established the Technology & Technical Accreditation Council (TTAC). This is a Joint Technical Committee with the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) to perform accreditation on professional technology and technical programmes. The council has published a Technology & Technical Accreditation Manual 2019 (TTAC MANUAL) for a comprehensive guideline for education providers (EP) to design and develop their programmes in the advanced technological fields,” he said.
UniMAP Academic Management Office dean Professor Dr Anuar Mat Safar said the availability of BTech programmes for DVM and DKM qualification holders is timely.
“It is estimated there are 50,000 students graduating with DVM and DKM every year. With the availability of BTech programmes, these students can obtain Bachelor’s degree-level qualifications as per required to face the challenges of IR 4.0,” he said.
Associate Professor Dr Anuar Mat Safar
DIFFERENTIATION
The main difference between BTech and conventional degree programmes is that the former were developed based on occupational requirement while the latter are more discipline-based, UTeM vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Wira Dr Raha Abdul Rahim explained.
“In conventional degree, fundamental and technological courses such as mathematics, physics etc are taught separately. In BTech programmes, the focus is for a graduate to perform a task in the work environment, hence fundamental and technological knowledge that is usually taught in different courses are embedded into a course on a particular competency set,” she said.
UTeM vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Wira Dr Raha Abdul Rahim
For example, she illustrated that a BTech Welding programme comprises a course of Welding inspection that combines elements of mathematics, physics, material studies, and local laws accordingly rather than have the subjects taken in separate courses, as with conventional programmes.
UTHM vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Wahid Razzaly, meanwhile, explained that the current delivery or execution of BTech programmes uses the approach of Work Based Learning (WBL) in block released manner. This means the students undergo their studies in two phases: two and a half years at university and another year in the industry.
“The curriculum structure is towards preparing students into industry 4.0 in line with the Program Educational Objective, which is to produce technologist, technopreneur and entrepreneurship.
As such, the success ratio of higher graduate employability is ensured as the students will have a structured WBL courses in the industry itself within a year before they graduate,” he said.
He said another delivery approach via apprenticeship is still in the development progress. The idea is to have workers upgrade their qualifications by studying two days in university and working three days.
COLLABORATION
UMP Center for Academic Innovation & Competitiveness (CAIC) director Associate Professor Dr Mohd Rusllim Mohamed, who is a director of the MBOT Technology and Technical Accreditation Secretariat, observed that MoE and the Ministry of Human Resources have been working closely to ensure the programmes are running accordingly.
“So far, the government has distributed some budget for reskilling and upskilling of existing lecturers, mentoring training for industry workers, and the implementation of a newly developed concept of teaching factory — University Revaluation Teaching Factory (URTF). Here, students are involved in industry production line, thus creating valuable experiential learning even before they graduate,” he said.
He related that MoE has approached the Malaysian German Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MGCCI) to become a strategic partner to BTech’s MTUN, so that the programmes can be further improved to meet the German standards.
“With MGCCI on board, all of its over 400 companies’ partners would be willing to be part of the ministry’s TVET empowerment agenda,” he said.
To improve the quality of teaching and learning based on IR 4.0, Anuar said UniMAP is currently applying to develop a teaching plant through the URTF effort.
“This involves practical sessions of industrial design, engineering design and 3D printing at this teaching plant,” said Anuar.
UniMAP’s Faculty of Engineering Technology has also applied for TVET transfer of technology (TOT) for existing lecturers to further enhance their knowledge and skills.
“The main objective of this TOT is to obtain professional certification for lecturers at the faculty. Some laboratories are also proposed to be turned into industrial laboratories, to enable professional certificates to be issued. Training to obtain a teaching professional certificate has also been proposed as one of the TOT TVET agendas to be implemented after this provision is approved,” he said.
At UTHM, Wahid said nine memoranda of understanding and eight letters of intent with related industries have been signed.
“The University-Industry partnerships include those with Siemens, Acson, Carrier, Festo, HardRock Hotel, NIOSH, Binaan Desjaya and Proton. The approach of BTech programmes is to have 60 per cent work-based learning and 40 per cent theory,” he said.
EXPECTATIONS
Director of UTeM’s Academic Planning and Development Office Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Fahmi Miskon said with a BTech degree in hand, TVET graduates can also request for appropriate and adequate amount of salaries coherent with the skills that they own.
“It is believed that the competition for fresh graduates to get a job has gotten tougher. Hands-on skills, experience and knowledge are what employers look for today,” he said.
Other than having more students involved in skilled courses, Ahmad Zaidee said it is also very important to get the students to further their studies so that they would be more intellectually improved in many aspects.
“The graduates of these programmes are expected to be employed as soon as they graduate because the programmes are designed to fulfil the needs of the industries.
“The launch of B.Tech programmes in MTUN reflects the government’s commitment in promoting and acknowledging TVET as the driving force in the country’s development. The curriculum is more practical and flexible to meet the challenges of the IR 4.0,” he said.
As the primary professional body for TVET, he said MBOT prepares TVET graduates as technologists and technicians that are readily accepted not just in the local but also the global industry.
“We are establishing our footing in the international arena with other countries via bilateral or multilateral cooperation.
“To date, we have been accepted as provisional signatory for Seoul Accord (multilateral co-accreditation agreement for Information & Computing Technology programmes). MBOT has also taken a proactive step in proposing to pioneer the establishment of APEC Technologists and Technicians Register (ATTR) which is anticipated to be launched next year when Malaysia hosts APEC 2020,” he said.
Comment: It’s not just BTech that DVM/DKM/DLKM graduates can pursue, they can also consider EBIM (Executive Bachelor in Industrial Management), an URise bridging program by Universiti Tun Abdul Razak where Technical Leadership and Industrial Revolution 4.0 are the core learning outcomes.
Executive Bachelor in Industrial Management (EBIM), specializing in Leadership, enable skilled personnel to excel into managerial positions with enhancements in managerial core abilities. The course covers the learning in soft-skills of leadership, managerial abilities, business communication and project management.
For SKM1&2 graduates, they are also not forgotten as their pathway would be to Professional Diploma in Industrial Management.
Truly understanding TVET candidates’ situation, SPM is not a pre-requisite, yay! Another exciting part about the program is that it’s a blended learning, means it’s conducted online and face to face classroom.
For more information, kindly email to thonghiwah@urise.edu.my or whatsapp/call 012-3123430.
PETALING JAYA: The Education Ministry wants to reform the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes in the country, says its director-general Datuk Dr Amin Senin.
Amin said that this was why several TVET programmes were halted for a while to give time for the Malaysian Qualifications Agency and Department of Skills Development to evaluate its curriculum to ensure TVET meets the quality benchmark set by the government and industrial needs.
“The claims made by some that certain TVET programmes have been discontinued are false.
“The ministry only wants to ensure certification and industry standards are met and used as reference in terms of marketability, improving skills, and in making curriculum improvements,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Dr Amin said that the ministry started the Vocational Education Transformation programme in 2012 to create an opportunity for students, who are interested in technical and vocational subjects to gain education to meet the country’s industrial needs.
This, he said, meant that the ministry needed to ensure that the programmes provided by institutions involved were of high quality and based on the coordination of operational policies, development of physical infrastructure and the provision of facilities, and the continuous development of professionalism for teachers and officers.
“After seven years of the programmes being introduced, it is high time that the programmes offered gave importance to a higher standard of education, in line with (the government’s) wishes of producing trainees of the highest quality,” he said.
He added that steps taken to make the programmes better were taken in line with views from stakeholders, including the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP).
“The majority of stakeholders are supportive of the ministry’s wishes to make relevant improvements for the benefit of students and the country,” he added.
He said that the steps to improve the programmes, offered by vocational colleges, were taken after having had discussions with stakeholders since May 2018.
Students of Politeknik Ungku Omar get hands on training on automotive engineering at the workshop at their campus in Ipoh.
A framework has been proposed to address the long-standing problems of our TVET system
A NEW framework for technical and vocational training is in the pipelines.
If approved, the proposal will see a more streamlined, effective, and industry-relevant, Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) system.
Proposed by the National TVET Movement to the Economic Planning Unit last month, the framework aims to address the country’s ailing TVET system.
National TVET Movement vice-chairman Datuk Ahmad Tajudin Jab said if implemented, the framework would simplify our fragmented system, and prevent the overlapping of responsibilities between different government bodies.
“Our focus is on upper secondary school students. We want to create a TVET champion.
TVET students being trained to be industry-ready. — File photo
“We want students to have better access to choices between academics and something more hands-on like TVET. This is what’s happening in other countries,” said Ahmad Tajudin, who recently retired as the Education Ministry deputy director-general.
Among those part of the Movement are the Federation of Human Resources Ministry’s Department of Skills Development (JPK) Accredited Centres (FeMac), National Council of Professors, and the National Parent-Teacher Associations’ Vocational and Technical Consultative Council.
For too long, TVET has been the “troubled stepchild” of the education system, he said.
This framework tackles long-standing problems like the:
> Overlapping of programmes and certifications;
> Misguided focus on post-secondary TVET students instead of upper secondary students;
> Existence of multiple accreditation bodies and agencies implementing TVET;
> High operations cost resulting from the many ministries involved;
> Weak policies; and
> Private TVET providers being treated as competitors.
“All TVET institutions should be streamlined, rationalised, and consolidated, under the Education Ministry.
“This ensures that teachers and trainers are better taken care of under one scheme of service. And, there won’t be a need to close down any institutions if all facilities and resources are under one roof,” he said, adding that it would also be more cost effective for the Government while ensuring smoother communication between the industry and institutions.
Other reforms proposed by the Movement include:
> Reducing existing certifications to an important few;
> Having a single accreditation body for TVET;
> Establishing two educational pathways for students to choose from;
> Allowing industries to take the lead;
> Enhancing TVET apprenticeship programmes based on models from other developed countries; and
> Formulating policies and legislations to enhance careers in TVET.
Greater emphasis, and an overview, of TVET implementation is needed, Ahmad Tajudin said.
There should be training provisions to facilitate contributions from private TVET providers, and there must be closer collaboration between the industry and these providers.
“Our TVET system needs stronger institutional coordination, and greater transparency among the multiple public agencies.
“TVET restructuring is a small part of a holistic solution, but it’s a start to the reform,” he said, adding that strong political will from the Government was crucial to ensure the country’s TVET success.
Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said the Government would continue enhancing the capabilities of TVET institutions and systems to remain competitive and meet industry demands.
Speaking during his annual new year address in Serdang on Monday, he said the ministry would implement a harmonised accreditation and quality assurance system to enable student mobility in TVET institutions, which includes the Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN).
The launch of Limkokwing TVET International, a TVET Malaysia Training Centre at Limkokwing University.MOHD SAHAR MISNI/The Star
MTUN, he said, should move in the direction of Fachhochschule – Germany’s tertiary education institution specialising in topical areas.
MTUN, he added, shouldn’t be evaluated solely based on publications, but also on the ability of the graduates produced to solve technical issues.
He said the ministry plans to increase the quality and delivery of TVET by enabling the industry to lead the curriculum development, avoid overlapping of programmes and resources, improve cost effectiveness, and widen the funding to increase enrolment.
He said the ministry was also in the midst of addressing recognition issues involving controversial vocational colleges.
He assured polytechnics and community colleges that they wouldn’t be sidelined in the reform process.
“To ensure the employability of our graduates, closer collaboration between these institutions and the industry – especially with the big players – will be prioritised,” he said, adding that these were part of the ministry’s efforts in making sure that TVET, polytechnics, vocational colleges, and community colleges, are no longer seen as second choice options.
In June last year, Dr Maszlee appointed Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar to chair a special TVET task force.
The duties of the task force, said Dr Maszlee, was to conduct research across all ministries that provide TVET education and training, and recommend how the country’s TVET system can be improved. This includes a review of TVET education and training laws, and the possibility of a TVET commission.
However, the TVET industry was left reeling following Nurul Izzah’s resignation as PKR vice president on Dec 17, and her decision to no longer serve the federal government in any capacity.
“We’ll continue advocating for a sustainable and effective TVET implementation,” said Ahmad Tajudin.
Source: www.thestar.com.my
Comment: It’s good that the Ministry has identified the weaknesses & looking to implement the reforms (personally, I see that our TVET sector would soar to much greater heights compared to now, if reforms are implemented effectively & correctly).
But I have a doubt whether they would reform this particular weakness – Private TVET providers being treated as competitors. It seems that there are plans to gradually “KILL” the private TVET providers based on their proposed plans (hearsay, so take it with a pinch of salt). These include but not limited to: 1) Closing all TVET providers that are 2 stars and below after the impending 2019 star rating process (as early as March 2019). It generally affects the smaller private TVET providers who has very limited resources (manpower & finances) vs the public TVET institutions. 2) Closing/revoke Vocational Training Operation (VTO) programme of any private TVET institutions that has does not meet a min of 4 stars and above for that particular programme. Eventually, it would be just offered by the multiple satellite campuses of CIAST, nationwide, 3) Restrict the organising of the JPK’s various induction courses (PP-PPD-PPB, PP-PPT, PPL) to only CIAST satellite campuses, nationwide. 4) and BEYOND – perhaps you can comment if you think what they are doing/planning to do is gonna KILL the private TVET providers.
PETALING JAYA: Some 5,504 students are left in a bind after finishing school last year.
They had enrolled in the Pendidikan Vokasional Menengah Atas (PVMA) programme at their schools to receive Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and were supposed to be awarded with two certificates — the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM).
Unfortunately, 208 out of 269 national schools offering the PVMA programme have yet to be accredited as SKM training centres to run it.
National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Harry Tan (pic) told The Star that the PVMA programme was put on hold by the Education Ministry in February due to the matter.
“These schools are not recognised by the Department of Skills Development under the Human Resources Ministry because the teachers appointed to deliver the programme are unqualified,” he said in the interview.
A Human Resources Ministry guideline states that qualified teachers must have SKM qualification in the relevant programmes to assess the students’ programmes under Levels One and Two.
Currently, many of the teachers are SKM Level Two holders.
Tan said the equipment in the schools also do not comply with the regulations set by the Department of Skills Development.
Describing the situation as unfair towards affected students, Tan said those who have graduated from the programme are skilled and qualified but do not possess the paper qualifications.
Department of Skills Development director-general Nidzam Kamarulzaman said schools must adhere to criteria before implementing SKM programmes.
“We also have a standard code of practice for schools to comply with.
“There are many elements involved, including having qualified instructors and trained teachers, meeting the requirements of our National Occupational Skills Standard and having a compound that is legal and safe for students.
“Serious consideration was not given towards the preparation of these schools (to run the programme),” he added.
Nidzam said the affected schools have since reached out to the department.
“We have been conducting meetings with them to correct the situation and we are targeting to solve the matter by next year,” he added.
An official from the ministry’s Technical and Vocational Education Division said a budget is set aside every year to be disbursed gradually to schools to buy necessary equipment.
“To resolve the equipment shortage issue, we began disbursing this year’s allocation last year, to speed up the process of accrediting these schools as approved training centres to run the PVMA.
He said the programme was temporarily suspended to allow the division to fully equip these schools before it resumes while schools that are already accredited are conducting the programme as per normal.
On the lack of trained SKM teachers, he said the division has begun the training process to tackle the issue.
While training takes only three months to complete, the official said due to the high number of teachers involved, it takes up to two years to complete.
Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran said earlier this month that the ministry plans to standardise and park all the vocational skills training centres under one ministry to eliminate redundancy.
Some skills training centres currently fall under the purview of the Education and Youth and Sports Ministries.
Tan said the 5,504 students are being asked by the Human Resources Ministry to sit for an assessment known as the Recognition of Prior Achievement (RPA or Pengiktirafan Pencapaian Terdahulu), that formally recognises their existing skills and enables them to pursue further studies in other TVET institutions.
Education Ministry officials said a special task force was set up at the end of last year between the ministry and the Department of Skills Development at the national level to resolve this issue.
The ministry, added the officials, set up an internal taskforce in January this year and a state-level taskforce to facilitate accreditation issues on the ground.
The affected students will complete the assessment between July and August this year and gain a Level Two SKM certificate by the end of the year.
By the end of 2018, students are expected to be certified with a SKM Level Two.
National Dual Training System is an industry-oriented training program that combines workplace and institutional training. School leavers or existing workers who meet the criteria can be offered as apprentices by a sponsoring company to undergo training.
A contract is signed between the company and the apprentices prior to the training. Apprentices are given certain amount of allowance throughout the training by the company and are obliged to work with the company upon completion if they are offered employment.
The hands-on training is conducted continuously and the apprentice is expected to get through the assessment as well as the final test which will be conducted at the end of the training programme. Successful apprentices will be awarded with the national skills qualification by Department of Skills Development (DSD).
SUMMARY
Participating in National Dual Training System (NDTS) is an appropriate decision for every enterprise to make, in order to ensure that apprentices are trained to become k-workers for the development of human capital to steer Malaysia to become a developed nation by the year 2020.
With NDTS in place, Malaysia’s growth is well on its way towards an industry driven skilled workforce development approach. The opportunity to be a part of NDTS not only enhances corporate performance, but also represents a commitment to investment in human resources.
All companies and business enterprises are welcomed to participate and implement the NDTS. The system is established for company interest and benefit.
Department of Skills Development as the coordinating body will provide assistance and guidance to ensure that company can participate in the system.
The duration is based on the scope and level of certification
Practical-theory ratio
70 – 80 % Practical training in real work situations 30 – 20 % Related theory classes at training centers
Delivery Method
Day Release System -For example for a four-day practical training in companies, followed by one day class theory at training center. Block Release System ( if necessary) -For example 3-4 months, followed by practical training1-4 weeks of class-related theories.
Trainer
SPM and / or employees working and selected by the company. The Company is not obligated to offer employment after completion of training
Training Allowance (If training is carried out in 2 years )
Certificate K-workers, equivalent to SKM Level 3 qualification or DKM (Level 4) or DLKM (Level 5) approved by the DSD and related employer organizations.
The NDTS with its industry oriented training concept is deemed superior to institutional-based training because:
i. Minimize mismatch (quality and quantity) between the companies’ requirement and skilled workforce development through demand-driven orientation.
ii. Training is based on work process approach under actual work conditions
iii. The need for continuous technological advancement.
iv. Minimize dependence on foreign workers.
v. Increase the speed of transferring technology by providing training in actual working environment
vi. Inculcates positive training culture in companies, especially in SMEs.
Pakatan Harapan said free education is imperative to address a lack of critical thinking skills desired by employers among graduates hunting for jobs. — Picture by Choo Choy MayKUALA LUMPUR, October 25 — Tertiary education will be free to everyone within 10 years if the Pakatan Harapan (PH) pact succeeds in taking control of Putrajaya in the next elections.
The federal Opposition pact made the pledge in its alternative Budget 2018 today, saying such a policy was possibly as it would conduct “a full audit and study on cost, wastage and corruption factors in all public universities”.
“Pakatan Harapan believes in free public education for all. The provision of free public university education is an ideal that we must achieve within 10 years of taking over government.
“Further, we need to help our graduates increase their employability and wages. To do this, Pakatan Harapan will place greater emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET),” it said.
The Opposition alliance of PKR, DAP, Parti Amanah Negara and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia said free education is imperative to address a lack of critical thinking skills desired by employers among graduates hunting for jobs.
PH also said it would also expand the Penang government’s German Dual Vocational Training (GDVT), launched in 2015, into a nationwide programme.
It said that while the ruling Barisan Nasional administration’s Education Blueprint has identified TVET as a priority area, there are few resources for apprentice programmes.
“Under this programme, host companies are given funding to conduct on-the-job training for selected TVET students who can then go on to obtain jobs in the same companies or the same sector,” it added.
Comment: Much that I laud PH’s pledge in its alternative Budget 2018 for free higher education in 10 years time should they come into power but saying that there are limited resources for apprentice programmes are not true. The government has allocated & spent quite a lot (I don’t have the figure but I can feel it as an industry player) to implement the National Dual Training System (NDTS) via the Department of Skills Development, Ministry of Human Resources. Nevertheless, it could have been better if leakages/corruption were to be minimized.
So, what’s NDTS & why NDTS? Well, that deserve another post 🙂
Well, this was shared by one of my friend in the IPTS.
“Don’t get fooled by fake promises and offers, especially 2016 SPM Leavers and their parents!.
Misleading information such as Bantuan Kementerian Sumber Manusia, Peluang Ke Pengajian Tinggi, Diploma Kerajaan are very viral since the release of SPM results yesterday.
Please verify with the relevant authorities or consultants before making any decision. What you should know before choosing a college? Check for this basic 5 points as listed below!
1. Check whether they are registered with Ministry of Higher Education! There are some irresponsible parties offering diplomas and skills certificate without the approval from MOHE or DSD. There are cases of non genuine courses offered to the public under the name of Professional Diploma and Executive Certificate. So please stay alert folks.
2. Minimum entry requirement for a diploma programme which is accredited by MQA differs depending on the field of the programme. Exp:- Any hospitality related courses requires the candidates to obtain a pass in their SPM with minimum 3 credits. Skills certificates such as SKM requires a minimum age of 16 to enroll. So when it said Diploma, check for this details. If it is stated that minimum age of 16 and 3M as the requirements, it is Skills Certificate programme under the Department of Skills Development. For the listing of DSD (or JPK in BM) Accredited Training Providers & their programmes, kindly search here
3. Are the courses fully accredited or still under provisional accreditation? You can check this by simply looking at their course code. Full accreditation will have the alphabet beginning with A*** and Provisional Accreditation will reflect PA at the beginning of the code. What is the meaning? PA is given to any new course that is approved by MQA to be offered in the institution. The college or institution need to be accessed again after 2 years of provisional period by MQA. If MQA feels that the college has met the minimum requirements and programme standard, the college will be given Full Accreditation. It is something like from a ‘P’ to Full driving license process.
4. Know your sponsor or financial assistance providers:- PTPTN – provide loan for IPTA & IPTS programmes PTPK – provide loan for JPK programmes
5. Compare the course structure! Please ensure that relevant subjects are offered in the programme. Evaluate whether the subjects offered are industry based or competent. It is good to have a balance study of 50% theory and 50% practical. Rather that choosing Diploma in Business Management, consider joining Diploma in Baking Science or Diploma in Culinary or Diploma in Entrepreneurship. For an example:-
Course offered at MIB College:
Diploma in Baking Science & Technology. Apart from baking and food related subjects, the students are required to take subjects like Economics, Accounting, Marketing, Human Resource Management, Operations Management, Financial Management, Cost Accounting, Business Maths and many more!
So try putting yourself in the employers shoes and ask yourself. Do you prefer baking graduate or business graduate? Do you prefer students with merely paper based qualification or equipped with some hands on practical skills?
Remember! One of the reason for unemployment is lack of industrial competency of the graduates.
