System of Technical & Vocational Education & Training in Malaysia (TVET) by Prof. Dr. Jailani Bin Md. Yunos, Assoc.Prof.Dr.Wan Mohd Rashid Bin. Wan Ahmad, Assoc.Prof.Dr. Noraini Binti Kaprawi, Assoc.Prof.Dr.Wahid Bin Razally Kolej Universiti Teknologi Tun Hussein Onn (KUiTTHO), Malaysia. Introduction In Malaysia, the Technical & Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system are offered by both public institutions and private providers. Technical and vocational education has evolved from very basic skill training to one which encompasses high cognitive knowledge involving the applications of mathematics and the sciences. There are five levels of qualifications which is Certificate, Diploma, Bachelor, Masters and Doctoral. Each level may be further subdivided according to the nature or purpose of the qualification. The table below shows the levels of education in the Technical & Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system. Technical and vocational education programmess at the upper secondary school level conducted by the Ministry of Education have taken a broad-based and non-terminal approach. The education system allows the opportunity for technical and vocational students to progress to tertiary education level and acquire a Certificate, Diploma or a Bachelor s degree qualification. 1
Table 1: Technical & Vocational Education & Training Level & Provider in Malaysia Level of Study Certificate Diploma First Degree Masters PhD Government: Ministry of Higher Education CC, Poly Poly, UC, U UC, U UC, U UC, U Ministry of Human Resource ITI, CIAST, JMIT, ADTEC Ministry of Youth and Sports IKBN, IKBTN Majlis Amanah Rakyat IKM, KKTM, GMI BMI, MFI, MSI MIAT Private UNiKL, KLIUC MMU, UTP UNITEN, UNISEL Limkokwing UNiKL, KLIUC MMU, UTP UNITEN, UNISEL Limkokwing CC Poly UC U IKM KKTM ITI CIAST JMIT ADTEC IKBN IKBTN GMI BMI = Community College = Polytechnic = University College = University = Institut Kemahiran Mara = Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi Mara = Industrial Training Institute = The centre for Instructor and Advanced Skill Training = The Japan-Malaysia Technical Institute = Advanced Technological Training Centre = Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara = Institut Kemahiran Belia Tinggi Negara = German - Malaysian Institute = British - Malaysian Institute 2
MFI MSI MIAT UNiKL KLIUC MMU UTP UNITEN UNISEL Limkokwing = Malaysia France Institute = Malaysia Spanish Institute = Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology = University Kuala Lumpur = Kuala Lumpur Infrastructure University College = Multimedia University = University Teknologi Petronas = Universiti Tenaga Nasional = Universiti Industri Selangor = Limkokwing Universiti College Of Creative Technology According to the Economic Planning Unit (2006), Ninth Malaysia Plan, at the postsecondary level, there are 20 government funded Polytechnics and 34 Community Colleges administered directly by the Technical and Vocational Education Division of the Ministry of Higher Education. The education is conducted in such a manner that it leads to the award of a certificate and diploma qualifications. Meanwhile, at the tertiary level, there are 6 technical university colleges that have been established by the government to cater to the increasing demand for higher technical education. Besides Community Colleges, Polytechnic and universities, some Government Ministries also carry out training activities at the technician/sub-professional and craft levels for school leavers. They include the Ministry of Human Resources, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Majlis Amanah Rakyat and other government agencies for specific need. On the private front, at the tertiary level, there are University Kuala Lumpur (UNiKL) and Kuala Lumpur Infrastructure University College (KLIUC) and many established private higher educational institutions offering higher technical courses leading to the award of diploma and degree. Malaysia Qualification Framework (MQF) In Malaysia, a unified system of qualifications was designed offered on a national basis by all educational and training institutions which include colleges, universities, vocational institutions, professional organizations and other higher educational institutions in both the public and private sector as well as workplace training and life long learning experiences. This unified 3
system qualifications was known as Malaysia Qualification Framework (MQF). It was presented to the National Higher Education Council (MPTN) by the Quality Assurance Division in November 2002 and been approved by November 2003. An MQF secures the standards of qualifications and reinforce policies on quality assurance; which ensures accuracy and consistency of nomenclature of qualifications; supports flexible education by providing typical learning pathways and recognizing prior learning (RPL); encourages partnerships between public and private sector, links non degree with undergraduate and postgraduate levels; encourages parity of esteem among academic, professional and vocational qualifications; establishes a common currency for credit accumulation and transfer; provides clear and accessible public information; facilitates, where applicable, the presentation of the intended outcomes of qualifications in forms that enable professional bodies to gauge their contribution to professional formation and articulates links with qualifications from other countries. Public confidence in academic standards and recognition of qualifications require public understanding of the achievements represented by all qualifications in education and training and the consistent use of the qualification titles. Parents, prospective students, employers, schools and educational institutions, the government and others want to be assured that qualifications bearing similar titles represent similar levels of achievement and that there is international comparability of standards to facilitate student and graduate mobility. In developing the single interconnected structure, nationally endorsed criteria for naming, positioning and linking all qualifications are necessary. The architecture of the MQF requires understanding of its foundation, principally expressed as competency standards or learning outcomes, the volume of academic load expressed as credits in terms of total student effort to achieve the learning outcomes, the purpose and character of the qualification and consistency of nomenclature. Based on these criteria the MQF is composed of the Certificate (vocational and higher education), Diploma and Advanced Diploma, Bachelor (Hons), Masters, PhD and earned higher doctorates and conversion awards named Graduate Certificate and Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma. The MQF will help make clear the range of qualifications offered in Malaysia, how these relate to each other, and what they offer for learners and employers. It will show the range of entry and exit points and the opportunities for progression and the transfer of credit from a range of learning; it will facilitate the development of flexible and innovative programmes of learning to meet a range of requirements and is sufficiently flexible to accommodate new kinds of qualification that may arise from time to time. 4
The MQF also provides transparent criteria and standards of all qualifications to ensure accuracy and consistency of nomenclature, reinforce policies on quality assurance, recognize lifelong learning efforts, continuing professional development and workplace training, unify qualifications awarded by providers operating under different Acts or mechanisms within or outside the formal education system, including e-learning, encourage partnerships between public and private sectors, link non degree with undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications, provide typical learning pathways in support of flexible education, encourage parity of academic, professional and vocational qualifications and facilitate the articulation of equivalency of qualifications from other countries. Table 1 shows the three principal elements of the MQF which is qualifications, providers and the educational sectors in which the qualifications are awarded. By uniting these three elements, the MQF encourages partnerships between public and private sector and among non degree, undergraduate and postgraduate levels as well encouraging parity of esteem among academic, professional and vocational qualifications. A qualification is a public certification by an accredited provider that indicates a person has successfully completed a specified set of learning outcomes with a particular purpose and at a particular level, which are properly assessed and quality assured. It marks the achievement of positively-defined outcomes not as compensation for failure or by default. There are three educational sectors in which qualifications are awarded (Table 2). The first sector is skills sector, which provides training in skills that are technical and industry related. The skills are cumulatively attained through progressive stepwise training. Beginning from the level of semi skills, the training continues progressively to skilled production right up to supervisory, executive and managerial functions. The competencies are 30% theoretical and 70 % practical based. The second sector is vocational, technical and professional sector, which provides education that, covers a wider range of competencies and responsibilities with a vocation or occupation as the endpoint. The education enables a person to practise or to be licensed in specific occupations or vocations such as technician, real estate agent, registered financial planner, unit trust agent, police inspector, health inspector and so on. Some qualifications may have significant autonomy in professional judgment. 5
The last sector is academic and professional sector that provides intellectually challenging knowledge, skills and attitudes that enables a person to assume responsibilities with significant autonomy in professional judgment. Table 1: MALAYSIAN QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK Provider Educational Workplace training, continuing professional development (CPD) Life long learning (RPL), University Post secondary Schools, Polytechnic and Colleges licensing authorities, Professional institutions ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL SKILLS TECHNICAL, VOCATIONAL & PROFESSIONAL sector Level CERTIFICATE Matriculation, SKM * 1 Technician Certificate Certification/ STPM, STAM, Foundation or SKM 2 and other occupational certificates licensing for practice DIPLOMA pre-university Certificate SKM 3^ DKM # Diploma (Technical, Certification/ vocational, professional etc) licensing for practice DLKM # Adv. Diploma (technology etc) BACHELOR Bachelor(Hons) Certification/ Graduate Certificate & Diploma licensing for practice MASTER Masters (research, Certification/ coursework, professional, combination) licensing for practice Postgrad Certificate & Diploma DOCTORAL PhD Certification/ Higher doctorate e.g DLitt, DSc, DEng licensing for practice * Malaysian Skill Certificate (SKM) ^ May include proposed K-worker certificate # Diploma and Advance Diploma in Skills 6
Table 2: MQF Qualification LEVEL SKILL SECTOR TECHNICAL & VOCATIONAL SECTOR LIFE LONG LEARNING EDUCATION SECTOR ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL SECTOR 8 Doctoral Doctoral 7 Diploma & Certificate Post Graduates 6 Diploma & Certificate Graduates 5 Advance Diploma Advance Diploma (General Degree) (General Degree) PPPT 4 Diploma Diploma PPPT 3 Skill Certificate 3 Certificate PPPT 2 Skill Certificate 2 PPPT 1 Skill Certificate 1 PPPT Master Degree Degree From Figure 1, in Malaysia, formal technical and vocational education starts at the upper secondary level, although at the lower secondary level students are introduced to pre-vocational education called living skills. At the upper secondary level, technical schools provide a two-year certificate in two streams: technical and vocational. The former provides a technical education programme with emphasis on science and mathematics whereas the latter offers more practical vocational courses for occupations in industry and business. In both streams approximately half of the courses consist of the general core subjects (languages, mathematics, religion and history), while technical education is also an integral part of general education; subjects such as commerce, principles of accounts, agricultural science, home economics, engineering drawing and engineering technology are also offered at general academic schools. 7
Pengiktirafan Pembelajaran Terdahulu PPPT / APEL 5 4 3 2 1 Diploma Lanjutan Diploma Kemahiran Sijil 3 Sijil 2 Sijil 1 SPM & Lain-lain kelayakan diiktiraf Diploma Lanjutan Diploma Teknikal & Vokasional Technical & Vocational Certificate Sijil & Diploma Pasca Siswazah Postgraduate Professional Awards Fellow Master Craftsmanship Sijil & Diploma Siswazah Ph.D & Kedoktoran Sarjana Profesional (4 Thn) Sarjana: Penyelidikan, Kursus, Gabungan Sarjana Muda (kepujian) (3-5 Thn) STPM/ STAM Matrikulasi Asas 8 7 6 Figure 1: Proposed Educational Pathways in Malaysia Skill training in Malaysia has still been encouraged in the Ninth Malaysian Plan in recognition of the need to improve human resources for economic growth. Under this programme, post-secondary technical and vocational education is provided by community colleges, public polytechnics, skill training centers and universities, as well as private colleges. Since 2001 community colleges have also been established to provide post-secondary technical training opportunities to school leavers, and provide training through short-term courses to meet community needs. Polytechnics produce a trained work-force at semi-professional level in various areas of engineering, commerce and services, and offer 2-year certificate and 3-year diploma courses to senior secondary school graduates in business, engineering, architecture and construction. 8
National Vocational Training Council (NVTC) The NVTC was established to formulate, promote, and coordinate industrial and vocational training strategy and programs in keeping pace with Malaysia s technological and economic development demands. Some of the functions of the Council are: (1) to assess skill needs, (2) develop the National Occupational Skills Standard, (3) implement the national skills certification program, and (4) promote skills training and skill-based careers. MLVK has made two major changes namely the adoption of a new 5-level National Skills Qualification Framework (which is the Malaysian Skills Certification Level 1-5) to address the shortfall of vocational and skills training development in the country and the introduction of a new Accreditation Approach. The SKM has expanded rapidly since its inception in 1993. It has resulted in the approval of about 1,700 training centers accredited by NVTC as of 2002 with total of 6,813 programs accredited. The policy reform undertaken by the NVTC or better known as MLVK is geared towards improving the quality and productivity of Malaysia s skilled workforce, having more effective coordination of vocational training activities, and working towards meeting the actual needs of Malaysian industries. The SKM Qualification Framework The 1991 Cabinet report on training has resulted in the introduction of SKM qualification which is based on the National Occupational Skills Standards (NOSS). Each candidate for the certification is assessed to determine the fulfillment of the needs as specified by NOSS. With the implementation of SKM, new opportunities are opened for school leavers to be gainfully employed. The SKM also give opportunities for workers who prior to this do not have qualification to show despite having years of experience. This is made possible because one of the routes to obtain SKM is the accreditation of prior achievement. Through this route candidates experiences are assessed and verified and they can be awarded SKM if they meet the requirements stipulated. It is the hope of the Government that by having SKM, a large fraction of school leavers will be productive and motivated workers who will contribute to the national development. Based on the proposed educational pathways by MQF (Figure 1), graduates with Malaysian Skill Certificate will be able to pursue their studies at any higher education institution and obtained the Bachelor degrees (Table 3). Thus, no limit has been set for graduates with skill certificates. 9
Therefore, SKM Qualification Framework: 1. provides alternative and equally attractive career development path parallels with the academic based certification; 2. promotes lifelong learning and upward mobility for skilled workers especially those who are already in the business; 3. produces highly competent, highly qualified and highly skilled workers; 4. adds value to the existing vocational and academic programs so that graduates are more marketable; 5. provides common platform for trainees from both public and privately run programs to obtain the same standard of qualification; 6. enhances the corporate image of training institutions; and 7. enhances the status of skilled workers in the country. Table 3: SKM Framework Qualification awarded Level 5 (Malaysian Skills Advance Diploma Levels of the SKM Qualification Competencies achieved possession of the necessary competence so as to be able to apply a significant range of fundamental principles and complex techniques across a wide and often unpredictable variety of contexts Level 4 (Malaysian Skill Diploma) Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 Competent in performing a broad range of complex technical or professional work with a substantial degree of personal responsibility and autonomy Competencies in performing a broad range of varied work activities that are performed in a variety of contexts, most of which are complex non-routine Competent in performing a significant range of varied work activities that are being performed in a variety of contexts. Some are non-routine, requiring individual responsibility and autonomy Competent in performing a range of various job/tasks that are mostly routine and predictable The National Dual Training Scheme 10
The National Dual Training Scheme (NDTS) was approved for implementation by the Cabinet in May 2004 and placed under NVTC as implementor. Trainees in this training scheme will spend 70%-80% of their time in industries or workplace and the other 20%-30% in training institutions under various government ministries and agencies and practical training is conducted at companies (multinationals, large SMEs and government-linked companies). The training will be for a period of four semesters. The scheme is implemented in two approaches. It is either done through a Day-release approach where trainees spend 3-4 days per week at workplace and 1-2 days at training institution. Another approach is a Block approach whereby trainees spend 3-4 months at workplace and 1-2 months at training institution. Trainees are given monthly allowance by the employers. On the other hand, employers are given reimbursement from Human Resource Development Fund or tax incentive Besides the dual training scheme, training institutions are encouraged to collaborate with industries to enhance the effectiveness of their training programs. This approach is a combination of work-based training and attendance of part-time vocational training. For this purpose many vocational and technical training institutes are offering part-time programs for technical employees with relevant working experiences. The focus of this system is hands-on training at the workplace whereas the training institution provides the theoretical foundations. By acquiring work-related experiences, a school leaver with Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia can be trained to be a certified skilled worker to meet the needs of industries. Conclusion One of the greatest challenges facing all countries today is the need to develop a knowledgeable and skilled workforce to support the nation s economy. With the globalisation era and the consequent rapid changes in tecnology and workplace requirements, countries like Malaysia require a flexible and competence workfoece that is adaptive to change (Thomas George, 2006). This requirement is leading to a demand on the skills delivery system, which is particularly the roles and responsibilities of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) teachers or trainers. With the situation needed, the TVET teachers or trainers should deal with various of levels target groups, new learning approaches and tools that will produced the key thrust in Ninth Malaysia Plan, 2006-2010 which is the development of human capital (Figure 2). With the sharp focus in producing skilled labour-force, each level of target workers in Malaysia should be provided with different needs of teacher training. 11
Different skill level, different needs for teacher training Engineering Skills Technologist L5 L4 L3 Technical Skills High Skills L2 Semiskills L1 Unskills Skill Level Figure 2: Needs of Technical & Vocational Education and Training Teacher or Trainer 12
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