Tag Archives: Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

TVET to be re-branded to make it more appealing

Kursus Induksi PP-PPD/PP-PPT/PPL, ,

Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik at Putrajaya today. Pix by NSTP/Luqman Hakim ZubirBy Hashini Kavishtri Kannan – April 26, 2019 @ 2:54pm

PUTRAJAYA: The Education Ministry is looking into re-branding technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programme.

This also includes the possibility of changing its name to be more appealing, said Dr Maszlee Malik.

The Education ministry said it would undertake efforts to make TVET as a mainstream choice for students, instead of it being viewed as a second option.

“Currently, the stigma among the people is that TVET is a second choice and that they will not succeed if they take up TVET programmes.

“Therefore, the ministry will spearhead initiatives to change the stigma and perception including the possibility of changing of the name of TVET,” he said today.

Maszlee said TVET and vocational training is not something that people looked at highly.

“We have to acknowledge and appreciate that human skills are different from one another, and that there are people who could excel in the field of TVET.

“We, at the ministry are committed to bring up TVET as a top of choice of study,” he told reporters at an event organised by Education Ministry to announce three new initiatives that will be undertaken by community colleges to improve and enhance quality of education in line with the Fourth Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0).

The three new initiatives are the ACES, Maker Market and Pondok Perdana.

Maszlee said ACES, an acronym for Apprenticeship, Professional Certification, Entrepreneurship and ‘Sijil Kolej Community’ are four pathways for secondary school leavers to take up TVET programmes at community colleges.

The Maker Market is an initiative taken by these colleges to collaborate with industry players, including Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation Sdn Bhd (MDEC), to create industry ready workers.

“Pondok Perdana, the third initiative, is to empower and value-add the skills of ‘pondok’ students through more structured and organised programmes.

“Through this, community colleges would cater certificate and diploma programmes to these students,” he added.

Also present were Education director-general Datuk Dr Amin Senin and Polytechnic and Community College Education Department director-general Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Ismail Abd Aziz.

Source: https://www.nst.com.my/

Comment: TVET is already an internationally recognised name, what rebranding are you talking about Dr Maszlee?? You think rebranding is just a change of name?
Has the Ministry discussed with the various stakeholders?
Heard from a source saying the name might be changed to
Certificate In Practical Engineering Technology or CIPET!

Night TVET classes for working community

TVET & Vocational Training - Malaysian News, , , ,

Human Resources minister M. Kulasegaran and Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Makio Miyagawa at a ceremony to celebrate Japanese Foreign Ministry commendation to Japan-Malaysia Technical Institute (JMTI) for promotion of economic relations between Japan and Malaysia at JMTI in Lorong Bukit Minyak. NSTP/RAMDZAN MASIAM.By Balvin Kaur – April 7, 2019 @ 4:37pm

BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Human Resources Ministry is encouraging technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions to provide night classes for the working class community.

Its Minister M. Kulasegaran said the current operation hours were 8am to 5pm but the ministry encouraged the institutions to extend the operational hours for another six hours by remaining open until 11pm.

“Eight to five are the normal working hours but we are now encouraging all TVET institutions to also operate from 5pm to 11pm to give opportunity for those working in nearby companies to continue their training to improve their skills.

“This is being done in other countries including Japan and even here at the Penang Skill Development Centre,” he told reporters after attending a ceremony to celebrate Japanese Foreign Ministry commendation to Japan-Malaysia Technical Institute (JMTI) for promotion of economic relations between Japan and Malaysia at JMTI in Lorong Bukit Minyak here today.

Also present were Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng and Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Makio Miyagawa.

Kulasegaran said the ministry had also suggested to Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to continue working with JMTI as a regional training centre that runs JICA training programmes for participants in this region.

“I believe that this is significant as it lends credence to the name “Japan-Malaysia Technical Institute”,” he said.

He said he hoped JICA would continue to dispatch technical experts and senior volunteers to share knowledge with instructors from local institutions.

Meanwhile, Lim said in the Eleventh Malaysia Plan (11MP), it was targeted that the percentage of skilled workers would increase from 28 per cent to 35 per cent by 2020 but in order to achieve this, TVET sector needed to become a game changer so that it could easily meet the demand and requirement of the industry.

“The target is to increase TVET students annual intake gradually from 164,000 in 2013 to 225,000 in 2020,” he said.

Lim said government continued to place strong emphasis for improvement of TVET and had provided significant allocation for this year, totalling nearly RM170 million.

However, Lim said the government could no longer afford to provide large allocations to public institutions with regards to capital expenses such as buying new machines and equipment.

He said an effective public-private partnership was needed in which industry could share their resources such as machineries and technical expertise in order to help train more local students.

“Now more than ever, it is crucial that the private sector comes forward and helps the government by sponsoring, or donating equipment or machinery to TVET institutions.

“Alternatively companies may also provide opportunities for TVET students to be trained using machines and equipment available at their facilities,” he said.

Lim said in other countries such India and Germany, there was specific legislation that compelled companies to participate in TVET.

However, the Bagan member of parliament did not elaborate on whether the government had plans to implement such legislation.

Lim said the government hoped that the industry and TVET institutions would voluntarily collaborate across their entire value chain of TVET, if possible from student recruitment to curriculum design, delivery and even job placement.

“Companies should also consider offering scholarships especially for students to encourage more students to join TVET programmes. For this year, such contributions are eligible for tax deduction,” he said.

Source: www.nst.com.my

Comment: Another option is to learn TVET courses via online (blended with workshops) that makes it easier for working adults to learn anytime, anywhere.

Tawau Vocational College hopes to gain from Taiwan link-up

TVET & Vocational Training - Malaysian News,

TAWAU: Director of the Tawau Vocational College, Ahmad Fakhrurasi Hamzah, is confident its international cooperation with seven Taiwan institutes of higher learning will strengthen Sabah’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). He said they signed a memorandum of understanding with these universities and colleges during a recent benchmarking visit to the country and is now in the midst of streamlining the agreement, including taking into consideration the standard operating procedures of the law. He said it was understood that equipment such as machines for learning at Taiwan’s higher learning institutions are replaced every three years and, hopefully, this will be donated to the Tawau Vocational College. “They have already shared their intention of donating their equipment and we hope this can be done,” he said.  

Commenting further, Ahmad Fakhrurazi said the inking of the MoU is to provide lecturers from the Tawau Vocational College with the opportunities of advancement at higher learning institutes in developed countries to enhance their competitiveness. In addition, he hoped that the development would be a starting point towards producing competent and skilled students.  

Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of Taiwan’s Sabah Branch Alumni Association, Pang Thou Chong said Tawau Vocational College has a huge potential and that TVET is very important for the job market and also provide good prospect for the State. He hoped the initiatives and cooperation would enhance the students’ skills particularly in agriculture, mechanics, construction, culinary and electronics in view of the job market for graduates with TVET skills.

Source: http://www.dailyexpress.com.my

Comment: Such tie up definitely benefit our students as well as cost savings from the purchase of these machines, some of which maybe very costly.
But am just wondering, why would the Taiwanese higher learning institutions donate to Malaysian counterpart rather than to their local TVET institutions? Are they so rich or even their local TVET institutions consider those machines would be too outdated by then?

TVET courses to be recognised by single body, says Maszlee

TVET & Vocational Training - Malaysian News, , , , ,

SHAH ALAM: Education Minister Maszlee Malik says the Cabinet has approved a proposal for a single qualifying body for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) courses.

“This is so that every TVET institution will produce graduates who are recognised, instead of them being lumped together in the labour market without recognition from the industry,” he said in his speech at the Rise of the Asian Tiger Convention at UiTM Shah Alam today.

He added that the process of integration has begun for vocational colleges, polytechnics, community colleges, and technical universities in the country.

Previously, he said, these institutions were separate and played different functions.

“Today they are all under one roof, under the education ministry. But what we want is for them to be standardised, so there is alignment and communication between these institutions.

“We want to increase material sharing, sharing of expertise, and sharing of industry connections.”

He referred to programmes at vocational colleges which are often criticised for being unrecognised or unaccepted. These, he said, would now abide by the standards of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency and the Department of Skills Development under the human resources ministry.

This would also enable industry players to connect with the ministry with more ease, which would in turn provide a wider employment market for graduates, he said.

He said the ministry would ensure that TVET courses are seen as a primary choice instead of an alternative.

On a recent Bank Negara report highlighting low entry-level salaries, he said the issue is being addressed, with changes underway.

Besides widening industry participation in education, he said, the ministry will review the courses and tertiary education streams that are presently available.

This includes looking into the potential cancellation of certain courses, or the addition of new ones which are more needs-driven or based on current market needs.

“What is for certain is that the ministry is committed to ensuring that universities and graduates are capable of preparing the best products in the industry network, to face the obstacles of the fourth industrial revolution,” he said.

Maszlee also spoke of an increased collaboration among public universities.

“They will collaborate between one public university and another based on their various fields, whereby we have categorised the public universities into clusters,” he said.

“We no longer want them moving in a silo, or conducting their roles without collaboration or synergy. (This way) we can ensure that the best is given to students and the academics working at the universities.”

He said the ministry has set up different clusters to help public universities reinforce their strengths, identities and marketability of their graduates.

“We also want to stress the concept of internationalising our universities.

“We are confident that we can become leaders in our fields, and in each speciality of these universities,” he said.

The categories in question are: Malaysian Focus University, Malaysian Research University, Malaysian Comprehensive University, Malaysian Technical University and Malaysian Islamic University.

On the matter of the zero-reject policy in schools, Maszlee said schools had received 83,039 disabled students since the policy was implemented earlier this year.

For undocumented children, 2,635 students have registered with schools so far.

Source: www.freemalaysiatoday.com

Comment:
Wonder what took the Ministry so long.
So now “Integration has begun for vocational colleges, polytechnics, community colleges, and technical universities” – no details given on the integration.
And what about the ILP, IKBN, IKTBN and other Pusat Bertauliah JPK, especially the private ones?

TVET good option for furthering studies and getting jobs, says Kula

TVET & Vocational Training - Malaysian News, TVET/Skills courses,
Human Resources Minister M Kula Segaran.

SEREMBAN: Technical and vocational education and training (TVET), which emphasises skills, is a good option for furthering studies, said Human Resources Minister M Kula Segaran.

He said this was in line with the country’s aim to produce more skilled workers as currently the percentage of skilled workers stood at only 28% when the target by 2020 is 35%.

“Skills training is very important and the country’s progress depends on it.

“I hope our young will pick TVET as the first choice. Parents should not solely be looking at sending their children to universities because TVET is no less important,” he told reporters after attending a “Human resource ministry with the people” event in Rantau here today.

He also said involvement of the Chinese and Indian communities in TVET was rather lukewarm, standing at 1% and 5% respectively, and that the ministry was intensifying efforts to encourage higher participation from them as well as the Orang Asli community.

He added it was easy for TVET students to get jobs after completing their courses, citing the take-up rate now stood at 94%.

On other matters, Kula said the ministry held “Meet-the-Customer” sessions at its headquarters in Putrajaya every Tuesday from 8am to 10am, whereby not only top ministry officials would be present but he himself.

In conjunction with the progamme, the minister also made a walkabout at the new market in Rantau town.

Source: www.freemalaysiatoday.com/

Comment: If you are interested to pursue TVET education but do not know where to find these institutions, fill up your details here

TVET – Maybe a better alternative than academic?

TVET/Skills courses, ,

“Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) should be rebranded as an attractive pathway for SPM leavers, especially for those not academically inclined”

Many parents, especially Chinese, would not even consider TVET/skills courses as it’s been looked as a 2nd class education. However, do you know that advanced countries like Germany, it is better to be a TVET graduate, armed with skills that have high demand in the market such as crane operator, underwater welding than university graduate (especially general degrees like social science, business studies, marketing etc) with no job prospect at all. AND do you know that 80-90% technical skills graduates are employed within 6 months upon graduation?

Perspective aside, awareness is also an issue as there are still many parents & children unaware about the prospects. Even if they know, most do not know where to seek advice or know where these TVET institutions are.

Worry not, we’re here to help. If you think you/your child/nephew or niece is more suitable to pursue the TVET pathway, kindly fill up your details here.

PS:
1. If you/your child insist on pursuing academic pathway but has poor SPM results, read here on what can be done
2. Most TVET institutions accept students from 16 years of age.
3. If budget is really a constraint & you can’t even afford to have a study loan, you may consider public TVET institutions but there are disadvantages in studying in those institutions (you may read more at the link given)

Mukhriz: Youth should look at TVET’s marketability

TVET & Vocational Training - Malaysian News, TVET/Skills courses, ,
Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir said the perception that TVET as the second option should stop as TVET graduates have proven to have gained popularity in the industry especially in the era of the fourth industrial revolution (IR 4.0). — Picture by Mukhriz Hazim
Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir said the perception that TVET as the second option should stop as TVET graduates have proven to have gained popularity in the industry especially in the era of the fourth industrial revolution (IR 4.0). — Picture by Mukhriz Hazim

JITRA, March 17 — Young people have been urged to consider the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for all its advantages while furthering their education, especially in terms of graduates’ marketability.

Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir said the perception that TVET as the second option should stop as TVET graduates have proven to have gained popularity in the industry especially in the era of the fourth industrial revolution (IR 4.0).

“TVET has been through the current paradigm shift and I welcome the industry players to ensure the training carried out to meet the needs of the industry today.

“Therefore, the government transforms and empowers TVET so that it will be the best choice for parents and students as well as to enhance their job marketability,” he said this in his speech at the opening ceremony of  the TVET Education Skills Development @Kedah Carnival here today.

He said there were more than 45 institutions in the state offering students various skills, among others, information technology, electrical and electronics, culinary and agriculture.

“Candidates of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), especially those who with results that may not be up to mark, I hope they will take the advantage of this TVET because of the wider job opportunities for those who have the skills to work in the industrial sector in the state,” he said.

Source: Bernama

What lies ahead in 2019 for higher education?

TVET & Vocational Training - Malaysian News, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
 
(File pix) Diversity and education for all.

By ROZANA SANI, Zulita Mustafa – January 2, 2019 @ 12:11pm

WITH Pakatan Harapan’s victory in the May 9 general election last year, the education landscape saw the merging of the Education Ministry, once the caretaker of school-level matters, with the Higher Education Ministry under the leadership of Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik.

The merger is the platform for the planning, implementation and management of strategies and operations, from pre-school to higher education and lifelong learning in a continuum.

Diversity and education for all is the ministry’s mission as evidenced by the June 2018 intake at public universities, polytechnics, community colleges and public skills training institutions.

Out of the intake of 182,409 post-sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidates, 17,338 places were offered to those from the B40 group, 299 to the disabled, 348 to Orang Asli and 1,225 to sports athletes. The trend of offering education opportunities at the tertiary level is expected to continue.

The education Ministry also pledged to make technical and vocational education and training (TVET) as students’ first choice of studies in the next five years.

Maszlee said TVET empowers every level of society towards equitable development, poverty reduction and economic prosperity.

However, several issues must be addressed, including strengthening the governance of TVET for better management, harmonising rating systems across both private and public TVET institutions, and enhancing the quality and delivery of TVET programmes to improve graduates’ employability.

The Budget 2019 speech revealed that the Education Ministry received the lion’s share with an allocation of RM60.2 billion, emphasising the critical importance of education for the nation’s progress.

The 2019 budget made substantial allocations for scholarships including a RM2.1 billion boost to the MARA education scholarships Programme and RM17.5 million over the next five years to the Malaysia Professional Accountancy centre (MyPAC) to produce more qualified bumiputera accountants.

Yayasan Peneraju Pendidikan Bumiputera received RM210 million for three of its programmes — Program Peneraju Tunas, Program Peneraju Skil (technical and vocational skills programmes) and Program Peneraju Professional (professional certifications in finance and accounting).

To ensure there are funds for those seeking to pursue tertiary studies, the national Higher Education Fund Corporation is reviewing its repayment mechanism.

Its chairman Wan Saiful Wan Jan said the review is expected to take six months before it is presented to the Cabinet for approval. The entity is actively holding meetings with various parties including community leaders, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders to obtain relevant information and input before the draft is prepared.

With the abolishment of section 15(2)(c) of the universities and university colleges Act 1971 last month, students have the freedom to take part in politics on campus. This will further expose undergraduates to the democratic system and foster active participation in the governance of the country. Starting this year, student unions will be set up to develop students’ ability to manage their affairs on campus and empower them to lead the nation.

Rahmah Mohamed, MQA chief executive officer

Enhancing the quality of education

As an education hub, Malaysia is a popular destination for local and international students because of the quality of academic programmes provided by higher education institutions in the country which are accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).

MQA chief executive officer Datuk Dr Rahmah Mohamed said its accreditation is widely accepted in Asia, New Zealand, Japan, Australia, United Kingdom and Europe.

“We are recognised as a global brand. If a student graduates from a MQA-accredited programme in Malaysia or a Malaysian institution, they can work in any of these countries,” she added.

For this year, MQA plans to train qualifications officers from countries which require accreditation of programmes such as the Pacific Islands and those emerging from war as well as nations which do not have such agencies.

It will also introduce standards for micro-credentials. Micro-credentialing is the process of earning a micro-credential, which is like a mini degree or certification in a specific topic. To earn a microcredential, you need to complete a certain number of activities, assessments or projects related to the topic “We are looking at enabling individuals to earn credits from short courses organised by higher education institutions, accumulating those credits and ending up with a diploma or degree,” added Rahmah.

“In today’s environment, universities cannot work on their own but need to collaborate. If they subscribe to the same set of standards, a course offered by X University for example can be recognised by University Y.

“And University Y can then offer another set of courses to help students accumulate more credits.

“MQA is always looking for academic products that can contribute to the adult environment. Micro-credentials help students learn and earn on they go.”

Micro-cedentials can be offered by both public and private institutions as long as they subscribe to MQA standards.

“We are targeting to have the standards in place within the first quarter of this year followed by a roadshow. I foresee the implementation of micro-credentials will be rolled out six months later.”

The Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning – Qualification (APEL Q) is in the pipeline.

“APEL Q is still at the study stage. A person who has 20 years of work experience will sit a test and his portfolio will be assessed to determine an award of up to a master’s degree, without having to attend classes.”

MQA will conduct a pilot project after carrying out a feasibility study.

“When we roll it out, we will be the most advanced in Asia in terms of such qualifications.”

MQA believes there is a need to enhance the qualification of working adults without the need to be physically at university.

“We need to contribute to the advancement of the country and, to do this, we need to evolve and improve our stature in academics and education.

So, this is what MQA is striving for.”

Focus on skills

More often than not, SPM school-leavers who are not academically inclined are at a loss after getting their exam results.

Their results may not be up to mark to enable them to continue their studies at conventional higher education institutions and they may not even have an interest in academic pursuit. Without training and education, they may not have the skills for a bright future in the working world.

The Education Ministry’s Technical and Vocational Education Division encourages those who are not academically-inclined to pursue TVET as early as 16 years of age.

Division director Zainuren Mohd Nor sees 2019 as the year to strengthen and empower TVET.

The division runs three programmes: Kolej Vokasional (KV), Program Vokasional Menengah Atas (PVMA) and Perantisan Industri Menengah Atas (PIMA).

“The aim of KVs is to produce skilled workers who meet industry need or become entrepreneurs,” he said.

The aim is to get 70 per cent of its graduates employed, 20 per cent to continue studies and the remaining to become entrepreneurs.

“We have signed 775 memoranda of understanding for on-the-job training with the industry. We collaborate with the industry to produce students with skills required by the Industry Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0). We also partner with TVET colleges from, for example, Korea, China and Italy to gain exposure,” he added.

“Diploma Vokasional Malaysia graduates with a 3.5 CGPA can opt for higher studies. Or they can gain work experience and then opt for APEL Q.

“Budding entrepreneurs can enrol in the School Enterprise programme. They can set up their businesses during studies with the help of Companies Commission of Malaysia and relevant cooperatives.”

KV graduates are awarded the diploma as well as Malaysia Skills certificate. Some 96.7 per cent of the 2017 cohort are employed. As of Press time, the statistics for 2018 were unavailable.

As demand for places at vocational colleges is overwhelming, those who opt for TVET education can do so by joining the PVMA programme at day schools. They will be awarded two certificates — SPM and Malaysian Skills Certificate.

“They sit for only three SPM papers — Bahasa Malaysia, English and History — which qualify them to apply for places at vocational institutions.

They will also be awarded the Malaysia Skills Certificate Level 2 which certifies them as partially skilled and they can gain employment or become entrepreneurs.”

Last year, 269 schools ran PVMA programmes with an increase to 350 this year.“PIMA offers potential school dropouts a chance to learn and earn. They are in school for two days to learn SPM Bahasa Malaysia, English and History, and spend three days working in the industry. Some 116 schools were involved in 2018 while the number is increased to 200 this year.”

Students will be awarded a SPM certificate as well as a letter of testimony from employers.

The State Education Department and the District Education Office select the schools which carry out this programme subject to the availability of the industry in the vicinity of the school. Students, who are selected by school counsellors, get an allowance from the industry and will be monitored by it.

In the Sistem Latihan Dual Nasional programme, students learn at school for six months and attend industry training for another six months.

“I urge society to change its perception of TVET and encourage more industry players to partner with us to develop TVET.

“We want the industry to provide student placements, taking on a corporate social responsibility approach. The industry can provide facilities and equipment to ensure training is in line with IR4.0.

“Students too need to change their mindset from just being an employee to that of an entrepreneur.”

(File pix) Raja Azura Raja Mahayuddin


Scholarships

The allocation of RM17.5 million over the next five years to MyPAC will go towards its target to produce 600 Bumiputera professional accountants, said its chief executive officer Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan.

There are plans to boost Bumiputera education through sponsorship programmes, including collaborating with institutions which provide scholarships specifically for Bumiputeras, particularly students from B40 families, to pursue professional accountancy qualifications.

MyPAC was established in 2015, in collaboration with Yayasan Peneraju, to increase the number of certified Bumiputera accountants.

It aims to create the opportunity and provide the ecosystem for those with the capability and ambition to obtain a professional accountancy qualification.

Through the scholarship programmes, the number of graduates has risen from only two in 2015 to 141 last year, with 2,154 full-time scholars, and 2,654 current scholars.

Nor Dalina Abdullah, one of the earliest recipients of MyPAC scholarship, said she got to know of MyPAC in 2015, which allowed her to complete her ACCA examinations in the same year.

“The scholarship provided me with the means to continue my ACCA education. Its support was instrumental in my passing the examinations,” said Nor Dalina, who works as an analyst at Baker Hughes, a General Electric Company. Her role requires her to interact with her colleagues of different rank, including those in other countries.

“As a founding member of MyPAC Accountants Club, I hope to contribute back especially to MyPAC’s Outreach programme to inspire potential candidates in the fulfilling career as a professional accountant,” she added.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Shafiq Mohd Yusof, Muhammad Hakimie Mat Hat Hassan and Ahmad Fauzee Mohd Hassan attribute their success to Yayasan Peneraju’s three key thrusts—Peneraju Tunas, Peneraju Skil and Peneraju Profesional programmes.

Muhammad Shafiq, from a B40 family in Perak, pursued studies at a private university with aid from Yayasan Peneraju, and he works at a multinational corporation with an average salary of above RM5,000 a month. Muhammad Hakimie, from Terengganu, is trained and certified as a welder, with a salary of RM9,000 while Ahmad Fauzee, who is pursuing the ACCA qualification, ranked first in the world for a subject he took as part of the professional certification syllabus.

Yayasan Peneraju chief executive Raja Azura Raja Mahayuddin said a structured scholarship and development programme allows individuals to further studies without financial worries.

“Yayasan Peneraju is thankful for the government’s trust in its efforts in empowering the education of youth especially those from lower income households.

“We are committed to strengthening the Bumiputera community in response to the government’s call to sustain and empower education and human capital.”

As at December 2018, the foundation has helped 23,000 people benefit from education, TVET training (and employment) and professional certification funding and development programmes.

With an allocation of RM210 million under the 2019 Budget, the foundation will be offering more than 7,000 new opportunities this year, including focus of existing programmes on certifications in technology-related fields, professional accreditation programmes for accounting and finance, and a new initiative — Khaira Ummah — for those from religious and tahfiz schools.

There is also the Super High-Income Programme to increase the number of Bumiputeras who earn a monthly income of RM20,000 in specialised and niche fields.

The foundation will focus on target groups — 1,500 youths from challenging socio-economic background with average-to-excellent academic results (Peneraju Tunas); 4,000 dropouts, non-academically-inclined, unemployed youths and low skilled/semi-skilled workforce (Peneraju Skil); as well as 1,600 new and existing workforce including SPM and university graduates, who are aspiring to be specialists (Peneraju Profesional).

Out of the 1,600, it will groom 1,000 professional accountants, chartered financial analysts and financial risk managers annually.

A new programme, Peneraju Tunas Kendiri, which provides opportunities for the disabled, will be introduced this year.

Khaira Ummah will start with two programmes — Huffaz Pintar (SPM fast track) and Huffaz Skil.

“We want to open up career pathways to these group of students through academic courses and technical and vocational education or even to those who aspire to be professionals.”

The Health Ministry has an allocation of RM250 million worth of scholarships for medical doctors, paramedics (including medical assistants), nurses and medical students.

Some 40 per cent RM100 million) is allocated for 1,100 doctors per year (compared to 1,000 in the previous years) to pursue master’s degree in various disciplines.

The ministry spokesperson said about 12,000 medical college students will attend basic paramedic courses and 9,000 nurses will continue post-basic nursing programmes.

There are a variety of master’s degree programmes in medicine and health, including Science/Clinical, Research, Education and Public Health at local universities.

In Malaysia, a master’s degree in medicine and healthcare is a stepping stone to a career in medicine (as a doctor) or an alternative career in another aspect of the field.

Resilience

Looking forward, Raja Azura applauded the government’s efforts in equipping the nation’s future generations with quality education.

The challenge is keeping up with technological advancements and embracing IR4.0 so as not to be left behind.

“Employers’ expectations of employees have moved towards technology-savvy communication skills, which in turn, require tertiary institutions to impart such abilities to students.

“I am hopeful that the higher education can prepare future generations to face IR4.0, which will impact all economies, industries and society at its core.

“It may very well challenge fundamental ideas about what it means to be human as it is slowly blurring the line between the physical, digital and biological, and changing the way we interact with emerging digital technology such as artificial intelligence, analytics and the Internet of Things.”

Raja Azura lauds the spirit of learnability and resilience.

“This is the desire and ability to quickly grow and adapt to remain relevant as people who are willing to learn will be agile and are versatile. They will also rank higher on the employability scale in today’s dynamic world.”

Zaiton of MyPAC hopes universities will encourage Bachelor in Accountancy graduates to pursue professional accountancy qualifications as they are only required to pass four ACCA papers, for example.

Source: www.nst.com.my 

Comments: 
1) What’s the point that the programs are accredited by MQA, recognised by many countries in the world but many of the local graduates are unemployed, mainly due to poor command of English language & the syllabus is so out of date and not relevant to the industry (same problem with TVET education system as well, most TVET institutions don’t produce graduates that matches the industry’s needs)

2) Introducing micro-credentials in the academic world is a great idea, it’s similar to TVET’s system where students/candidates can just go for certain Competency Units (CU) @ Modular certificate. Upon obtaining all CU in that particular program, they can be awarded a Malaysian Skill Certificate (MSC) or more well known as Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM)

3) Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning – Qualification (APEL Q) is another great system that allows experienced workers that didn’t go through formal education to obtain their Diploma, Degree, Masters or even PhD. However, devils is in the details. It maybe subject to manipulation by certain parties for quick & easy profit.
APEL Q is just like Pengiktirafan Pencapaian Terdahulu (PPT) in our TVET context. Unfortunately, I’ve received feedbacks on how some of these candidates (with the help of CONnsultants created fake evidences & managed to obtain their SKM certificate via the PPT method.
Besides that, can you imagine someone that has >10 SKM qualifications under his/her belt which is so diverse from each other, eg having SKM in aesthetic, hairdressing, massage, aromatherapy, make-up (this group can be quite related to each other) AND culinary, office management and GOD knows what else!
Last heard the Department of Skill Development (DSD or better known as JPK) is checking on this & will take action. Haizz, always after nasi sudah jadi bubur.

4) With the increase of more & more PVMA, private TVET providers are advised not to run the same program as these PVMA’s, especially if you’re tartgeting the same group of students (mainly the B40). Many private TVET providers are already crying for help due to lower number of students registration from this group of students, coupled with the dwindling funding/financing by Perbadanan Tabung Pembangunan Kemahiran (PTPK).

3 key takeaways from the latest update to Microsoft's MPSA | The ...

Great news for TVET/SKM/SVM/DKM/DVM holders:

You now have an opportunity and option to fast track to a non-MQA executive degree, which is good enough for your career advancement in the private sector or if you’re already self employed/own a business, it’s an opportunity to elevate your social status as a University graduate, not just a technical cert holder from a centre or college.

Find out more here – URise Program for TVET/SKM/SVM/DKM/DVM holders

Time for reforms of TVET to narrow inequality in education, says economist

TVET & Vocational Training - Malaysian News
TVET students showing their automative engineering skills. There is a need for the training syllabus to prepare students for future jobs. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: There are new challenges in the labour market which would require talents who are not necessarily good academically, says an economist.

But Fatimah Kari of Universiti Malaya said Malaysian employers were still heavily dependent on paper qualifications in the recruitment process.

She said many failed to exploit talents and skills among students who don’t perform well academically.

This emphasis on grades has led to a cycle of economic and educational inequality.

“If the kids get higher grades, they’ll have more access to tertiary education opportunities,” she told FMT in a recent interview, adding however that those in rural and indigenous communities in Sabah and Sarawak were still left behind.

Fatimah said she supported recent calls for reforms of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), long considered an alternative stream for students who do not perform well academically.

Fatimah said a factor in ensuring economic equality in the country was access and affordability of education.

She said rich parents could provide better opportunities for their children.

Fatimah Kari

Citing a government-funded study on rural education conducted in Kemaman, Terengganu, Fatimah said it was found that children in rural areas have their own unique talents that the present labour market fails to exploit.

“Yet, they are the same students who are not going to make it in SPM examinations. I don’t think they would be able to get the A’s and B’s that the existing system prizes so much,” she said.

“Eventually, these children will be another generation which will fall below the poverty line, within poor families, and the inequality in our country will just continue.”

Fatimah acknowledged that there is an emerging trend where companies are becoming more flexible when in evaluating one’s skills.

She said future jobs would be very different.

“We are hoping these changes will narrow the inequality gap,” she said.

She urged the government to set up mechanisms to encourage the trend, saying TVET could be excellent in narrowing the gap.

She said TVET should take into account the inequality and differences in education that were dependent on variables such as parent affordability and access to institutions.

“But having TVET by itself and expecting it to function on its own is not going to work either,” she added.

Fatimah said TVET should not be seen as a “last resort” option for those who are academically poor.

Instead, it should be placed on par with other lines of education.

She said one shortcoming of TVET is the limited accessibility to training centres.

“It is very difficult for poor families because the location of where they can go for TVET is very far away.”

Considering the current target being poor families with limited transportation, most people cannot afford the long travel or accommodation, she said.

“Then, we will be back to the cycle where education is only for those who can afford it,” she said.

Fatimah suggested that TVET be offered in conventional schools, as the facilities were already in place.

“What’s wrong with that?” she asked.

“You don’t need to build another huge infrastructure, because a school has all the infrastructure they would need. It has the staff, teachers, halls and labs. All that is left to do is to offer the appropriate syllabus,” she said.

Fatimah does not agree with having a standard syllabus across all facilities, but instead recommended localising the syllabus to reflect the economic activities.

“The profile of the local economy must be reflected in the TVET syllabus offered in the training centres,” she said.

Giving an example of Semporna in Sabah, which is famous for its tourism industry, she said the TVET offered in a centre there should consist of skills related to tourism and hospitality.

He said TVET students would then be guaranteed a job that suits the local economy.

Source: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com.

Little interest in TVET

TVET & Vocational Training - Malaysian News, , ,

THERE is something that ails in the way we deliver our technical and vocational education and training (TVET). Experts say that for a country to be a developed nation, it must arm its human capital with the skills that are needed by industry. But TVET seems to be less loved than it should be.

According to Khazanah Research Institute’s (KRI) The School-to-Work Transition of Young Malaysians (SWTS) survey, only 13 per cent signed up for the pathway. At the polytechnics stage, TVET kindles even less love: the take-up rate was only nine per cent. A majority—68 per cent who pursued post-secondary school education — found TVET to be not an education pathway of choice.

There are reasons aplenty for our young ones to feel this way. Firstly, TVET graduates are not recognised as professionals. This has a huge impact on the graduates’ future: they are not able to command as good a salary as their academically-inclined former schoolmates do.

While employers are quick to complain about our graduates not being skilled, they rather employ foreign workers who understandably settle for less pay. Not out of choice, though. They are less expensive because the perks that our local workers will rightfully demand are mostly denied them. Non-governmental organisations and media reports have often highlighted their laments.

TVET grads also have little to no access to higher education institutions should they decide to pursue post-TVET education. There is also a national prejudice that crosses ethnic lines: TVET is seen as the last choice for people who have no academic qualifications. Only one per cent of all Chinese and four per cent of Indian secondary students found TVET worth pursuing.

As for Bumiputeras, the take-up rate was 15 per cent. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) will prove this prejudice wrong, but 4IR seems to be slow in arriving at our shores. Also, the prejudice is too deep-seated for it to vanish as quickly as we would wish it to.

But Malaysia is not without a cure, as KRI suggests in its SWTS. As expected, Germany points the way with its dual training system. KRI puts it thus: “The dual system is highly recognised worldwide due to its combination of theory and practice embedded in a real-life work environment, enabling young people to make the transition from the world of education to the world of work.” The dual system is no accident; a lot of thought and planning has gone into making it work. It is often touted as a panacea for youth unemployment. We must do the same to make TVET an education path of choice for our youth. Mere tweaking of the existing system will just result in a fillip for TVET; what it requires is salvation. According to one estimate, there are close to 1,000 providers of technical and vocational training and education, and many of them are facing issues of financing and recognition. If Malaysia paid enough attention to governance, quality and industry partnership as Germany does, our TVET may just be the path of choice for our youth.

Source: www.nst.com.my