“Re-aligning TVET within MTU”

Professor Datuk Dr. Mohd Razali bin Muhamad,Deputy Vice Chancellor,

University Technical Malaysia Melaka

Contents

• Coming to term with TVET

• Sustaining TVET development

• Constraints

• The future of TVET

• ‘Technical’ relates to industrial and applied sciences and

‘vocational’ relates to occupation.

• the title “Re-aligning TVET within MTU” means to re-align MTU

programmes with industrial technological needs.

• UNESCO define TVET as a comprehensive term referring to

those aspects of the educational process involving, in addition

to general education:

the study of technologies and related sciences,

the acquisition of practical skills, attitudes, and

the understanding of knowledge relating to occupations in

various sectors of economic and social life.

Coming to term with TVET

Definisi TVET dalam konteks Pendidikan Tinggi Negara ialah:

a. Program Sarjana Muda Teknologi, Diploma Teknologi dan Sijil Teknologi

yang mempunyai komponen praktikal sebanyak 40% ke atas

sebahagian kurikulum, dan pembelajaran & pengajaran (P&P) program

tersebut di institusi awam dan swasta;

atau

b. Program yang tidak menggunakan perkataan “Teknologi” tetapi

merangkumi komponen praktikal sebanyak 40% ke atas sebahagian

daripada kurikulum, dan pembelajaran & pengajaran (P&P) program

tersebut di institusi awam dan swasta.

(Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Induk TVET, KPM Bil. 1/2015, 22 April 2015)

1. Coming to term with TVET

Why need to “re-align TVET Within MTU?

• MTUs have implemented 40 theoretical:60 hands-on approach with 6

months industrial training since their initiation in the early 2000’s.

• MTU engineering programmes changed their educational approach

to get recognition from professional bodies in order to allow their

graduates to be registered as engineer.

• However, the need for engineering technologist at national level

predominate the employment landscape. MTUN reintroduced

Engineering Technologist programmes in 2011.

• Since then, especially due to uncertainties in accreditation process and

recognition by professional bodies, different understanding arises on

what constitute TVET programmes and practices between MTUs. For

this reason, effort must be made to re-align TVET understanding and

practices within MTUs to have a uniform understanding and effort by

all stakeholders involve.

Engineering Programmes Engieering Technology Programmes

Curriculum content:

- Emphasis on Engineering Fundamentals

- Industry led (design by university people

by getting input from industries)

Curriculum content:

- Emphasis on Engineering applications

- Industry driven (design by industry

people to really match industry needs).

Deliveries:

- 100% theoretical lecture in class (except

for courses with PBL or SCL activities)

- Laboratory course separated

Deliveries:

- 40% theoretical lecture in class and 60%

practical hands on activities in lab

Assessment:

For most of engineering courses, at least

60% marks from Final Examination and 40%

comprises of written tests and assignments

Assessment:

40% marks from final examinations and 60%

comprises of coursework activities such as

lab assessments

Under registration of Engineers Act 1967

(Act 138)

Technologist and Technicians Act 2015 (Act

768) except for “Engineering Technologist”

which is at the moment under Act 138.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS

1.Relevant curriculum

2.Recognition by accreditation/professional bodies

3.Highly skilled and qualified staff with industrial

experience

4.Continuous support from industrial players

5.Practicing creative and innovative learning and

teaching method

6.Student to staff ratio

7.Sufficient facilities for laboratories and

workshops

2. Sustainable TVET development

MTU need to strive for a more sustainable development:

1. Sustainable facilities and equipment

2. Sustainable staffing

3. Sustainable industrial support

4. Sustainable operation

On facilities and equipment

Issues:

- Exposing students to industrial standard facilities and equipment

are expensive with the current practice of equipment acquisition.

- In the fast evolving technology era, equipment purchased will

already be outdated with a long procurement process.

- Equipment purchased has high maintenance cost, and

breakdown can take a long time and more cost to fix.

- Utilization rate and economic value.

Solutions:

• More Industrial sponsored labs such as Samsung IOT,

Apple Lab and Tokushima UTEM Academic Center

(TMAC), CATIA PLM LAB

• Institutions need to develop collaborative programmes with industries that involve utilization of facilities in universities and vice versa.

• Offering of life-long learning programmes such as short courses

Staffing:

Issues:

High quality staff with industrial experience is vital in ensuring that MTU TVET

programmes meet the expectation of the demand from the industries. How to

re-align TVET within MTU in terms of ensuring that teaching in class closely

match the fast changing industrial practice while maintaining strong

fundamental knowledge?

Solution:

- Staff development and training. Sabbatical/industrial attachment for staff –

with appropriate incentives.

- Teaching Engineers development: Universities have to create attractive

career path for Teaching Engineers.

- Alternative policy for staff recruitment. E.g: staff with 20 years experiences

given option for recruitment as the same with paper qualification (PhD).

- Grant Schemes/opportunities for applied research.

On sustainable operation

Costly operation should be mitigated by innovative and

creative initiatives:

- Diversify program offering through off shore and part

time programmes.

- Entrepreneurship program.

- Professional certificates program.

- Industrial driven curriculum, perhaps elective courses

that is designed and delivered by industrial experts.

3. Constrains that hinder TVET development

Getting continuous support from industrial players

MTUs need to continuously getting support from industrial players in a more sustainable manner.

Issues:

- The human workforce supply must match exactly the demand hence both supply and demand parties

should be in the know, in a harmonize ecosystem. Currently there is not sufficient demand data, and

the supply by Malaysian government is provided through at least 7 ministries, creating redundancies of

supply.

Solutions

Attract industries participation intensives through:

a. Tax exemption mechanism.

b. Building branding by MTU such as having dedicated name of industrial leaders as part of the

naming of program or courses

c. Compulsory scheduled staff development for duration of time in industries, with

incentive/scholarships.

d. Having a systematic automated input system accessible to all stakeholders, to provide the much

needed rich database of supply and demand data. This should be manage centrally by the

government involving all ministries and industries.

On recognition by accreditation/professional bodies

Issues:

- “Engineering Technologists” are specifically covered by Act 138 (Registration of

Engineers Act 1967). They are not mentioned in Act 768 (Technologist and

Technician Act 2015). Act 138 is meant to regulate the registration of engineers and

engineering technologist providing “professional engineering services”.

- However, by abiding to BEM ETAC requirement that follows Sydney accord, the

recognition is placed at a lower level than BEM EAC requirement that follows

Washington Accord hence lowering the remuneration of the engineering

technologist graduates when compared to engineers.

Solution (from summary of discussion during pre-symposium meeting):

‘Technologist’- should be registered and accredited under MBOT, with graduates given the choice to and follow the pathways for Engineering (under BEM).The realization of the ongoing Malaysia Research Institute for Vocational Education & Training (MRIVET). The role of MRIVET to standardize minimum qualification (e.g. Framework to assess graduates) for individuals to enter MTU as Graduates.Recognition by the government – understanding the differences between engineers & engineering technologist

4 Future TVET developmentRe aligning TVET means, MTU must seek for a more suitable method to compare

and rank themselves. KPT must recognize and support this agenda.

Issues:

- Existing ranking systems like QS and THE are favourable towards traditional

universities that excel in hard science research activities. The existing ranking

systems are not measuring key TVET quality indicators such as graduate

employability, contribution towards local regional economies and societies,

graduate competencies, graduate adaptability, and performance in research in

applied sciences and engineering practice.

Solutions:

- To introduce a new type of ranking system or use benchmarking approach and

then internationalize the ranking system for use by other technical universities

globally.

- Strengthen TVET quality: Promote and undertake more applied research that

gives direct impact to local/regional economies and societies. More of PPRN

and KTP type of seed money dedicated to MTU.

References

(P.T.M. Marope, P.J. Wells and E. Hazelkorn, 2013) P.T.M. Marope, P.J. Wells

and E. Hazelkorn (eds), “Rankings and Accountability in Higher Education:

Uses and Misuses”, 2013.

(Del Mar, 2011) Viña Del Mar “Introducing Unesco’s Technical Vocational

Education And Training (Tvet) Definition And Strategy” 30 December

2011.

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