TVET training and qualifications are looked down upon by many Sarawak parents as being inferior to academic qualifications. (Bernama pic)
KUCHING: Sarawakians do not have high regard for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) qualifications, a state minister said today.
State Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Michael Manyin said TVET training and qualifications were looked down upon by parents as being inferior to academic qualifications.
School leavers also did not place much value on TVET training, he said during the closing ceremony of Worldskill Malaysia Sarawak 2019.
“Every year, Sarawak has between 35,000 and 38,000 school leavers with SPM qualifications and of these only about 20,000 to 25,000 further their studies in tertiary institutions or do skills training in TVET institutions.
Michael Manyin.
“Between 10,000 and 15,000 of these SPM school leavers do not undertake any further studies or training and enter directly into the job market often doing jobs that pay low wages and have little prospect for advancement,” he said.
Manyin said even though there was a huge demand for skilled workers and there were institutions offering courses in these trades, most of them were either under enrolled or had no takers.
Therefore, he said, it was the state education, science and technological research ministry’s main agenda to promote TVET and skills training as an equally attractive career development pathway.
Among the initiatives taken were through the Sarawak career and training fair, TVET symposium and TVET camps.
Another key programme by his ministry to raise the status of TVET was through the Worldskill Malaysia Sarawak competition, which is organised once in two years, he said.
The Worldskill Malaysia Sarawak was held to recognise and acknowledge the skills and competencies of Sarawak’s youths and to raise awareness about the value of vocational education and training as well as careers for those with skills training.
Comment: Well, not only Sarawakians look down on TVET, it’s the society in general, not limited to Malaysia but other developing countries as well. Not easy to change the social stigma of the public as it’s been drilled in most parents mind that TVET is only for dropouts & those who are academically poor. And perhaps some jobs are deemed to be 3D (dangerous, dirty & difficult) (eg motor mechanics, underwater welding, electrician, construction worker etc).
But with so many academic graduates coming out jobless & statistics showing that TVET graduates are highly employable (>90%), don’t you think that you as either parents or students should give TVET courses & jobs a second look or maybe even the 1st choice, if your interest is, in baking, sewing, woodworking, repairing cars etc?
And now TVET graduates are given the opportunity to even further study to university level with the offering of Bachelor of Technology programs by members of Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN) or management related degrees to enable TVET/skill graduates to graduate into management level. Don’t you agree that if you have hard (technical) & soft (management, communication, entrepreneurship) skills, you would be even better that those academic graduates who are mainly only good in non-technical skills?
Contoh SKM bidang VTO (I-031-3:2014) – Pegawai Latihan Vokasional – WAJIB untuk Pegawai Penilai(PP)
SKM diterima industri/luar negeri?
Isu SKM diterima industri/luar negeri kerap dipersoalkan. Sebelum kita bincang pasal tu, mari kita lihat faedah Persijilan Kemahiran Malaysia.
Apakah faedah Persijilan Kemahiran Malaysia?
1. Persijilan Kemahiran memang diiktiraf oleh industri di Malaysia Realitinya, tidak lagi semua industri tetapi pihak Jabatan Pembangunan Kemahiran (JPK) bersama Industrial Lead Body (ILB) memang sentiasa berusaha ke arah itu.
Dalam Petronas Technical Standards (PTS), Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia welding inspection telahpun diterima dan dinyatakan dalam beberapa PTS contohnya PTS 15.12.10 – Welding Of Structural Steel. Tetapi ada juga PTS yang belum menyatakan penerimaan JPK welding inspection secara terus, contohnya: (a) PTS 15.12.01 – Welding for Chemical Oil & Gas Industries (hanya ASNT & ISO 9712) (b) PTS 12.30.05 – Shop & Field Fabrication of Piping (hanya PCN/CSWIP/ AWS) (c) PTS 15.12.04 – Welding of Pipeline (hanya menyatakan SKM untuk NDE personnel)
Kalau boleh, semua PTS dapat diseragamkan dan menyatakan penerimaan SKM welding inspection secara terus bukan hanya “term equivalent”. Ini secara tidak lansung akan mengiktiraf persijilan ni.
Begitu juga untuk sektor perkhidmatan kecantikan dan dandanan rambut, sesetengah pihak berkuasa tempatan seperti MPAJ & MPS dikatakan mensyaratkan pengusaha atau pekerjanya perlu ada Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM) untuk memohon lesen premis.
Difahamkan juga sektor air akan mewajibkan sesetengah pekerja dalam bidang tertentu memiliki Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia menjelang 2020.
3. Persijilan Kemahiran Malaysia berupaya melahirkan pekerja mahir yang terlatih dan berkelayakan untuk mempertingkatkan daya saing industri tempatan di pasaran dunia. Ia telah terbukti bahawa Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia kita ni memang laku dan jauh lebih bernilai dari sijil-sijil lain, tak kira tempatan ke luar negeri seperti UK.
Sudah banyak kes di mana Kedutaan Negara Asing di Malaysia cuma menyokong (endorse) Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM), Diploma Kemahiran Malaysia (DKM) & Diploma Lanjutan Kemahiran Malaysia (DLKM) tetapi tidak sijil-sijil kemahiran/akademik lain, walaupun ia mungkin datang dari UK, Australia atau Germany, kecuali ia adalah dari badan professional yang dikenali dunia (seperti ACCA, CIBTAC, CIDESCO, TWI dsbgnya).
Apakah kepentingan ini? Jika anda ingin bekerja dalam industri kemahiran di Dubai, Australia, China ke mana-mana di luar Malaysia, majikan dan kedutaan rata-ratanya hanya mengiktiraf SKM/DKM/DLKM. Tak percaya? Cuba pergi tanya pegawai di Kedutaan Asing ataupun Jabatan Pembangunan Kemahiran (JPK).
Jadi, jelas bahawa nilai SKM/DKM/DLKM ini amat besar, cuma ramai yang masih tidak tahu menghargainya.
KOTA KINABALU: The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between KKYS Sdn Bhd and Portland Arena Sdn Bhd was in line with the State Government’s aims to strengthen Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the State.According to Deputy Minister of Home Affairs cum Sepanggar MP, Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman, the MOU was also in line with the needs of the State’s industry.“This is so that students that graduates of KKYS will have jobs in industry waiting for them. These programmes for electrical, welding and others are what is required and in demand from the State’s industry.“The modular construction that is being brought over by Portand Arena is also a new thing in Malaysia. So I am sure that with the cooperation between KKYS and Portland Arena, it will be profitable not only for KKYS but also the State.”
Mohd Azis said he was made to understand that Sabah will be the first state (that the programme is being held in) and if the programme is successful, Portland Arena will open up a factory for manufacturing their (modular construction building) products in Sabah.“The demand is there for these products and even for Petronas, its Mesra shops are using the same products. Even police stations, including one in Port Dickson, is also using the same product.“So it is something new in Malaysia. We know the government is facing financial problems, and if we were to use the conventional way of making buildings, it would cost more and take more time. “But with this product, it is cheaper, faster and IBS compliant. So it is in line with what is required by the government and in line with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal’s goal of strengthening TVET at the State level.
“So it is a good move by KTYS to venture into this field. I am quite sure that it will be beneficial for the students as well. I was made to understand that even Portland Arena is prepared to employ these students when they graduate to work in their factories. So it’s a good deal for KKYS as their students are guaranteed jobs,” he said. The MOU was signed by Portland Arena Sdn Bhd Group Managing Director Dato Izz Mika’il Abdullah and KTYS Chief Executive Terrence Chee and witnessed by Mohd Azis at KTYS City Campus, Sembulan, Monday.It marks the cooperation between both parties to strengthen KTYS’s academic and technical programmes, particularly its JPK Certificate and Diploma in Building Construction.The collaboration would see Portland Arena as the technical advisor to develop and enhance the building and construction, welding, electrical and air conditioning programmes in KTYS as well as partner in the development and implementation of the Modular Construction. The strategic partnership shall also provide the platform for internship and training placement for KTYS students with Portland Arena.
Comment: This is a collaboration in technical training. ISE Education Sdn Bhd has also recently inked an MOU with University Tun Abdul Razak (URise program) to provide TVET graduates (SKM holders) an opportunity to rise up to management level with industry relevant modules & qualifications. You may visit and fill up the form here to express your interest.
MALAYSIA needs “new collar” employees or individuals with technical, vocational and soft skills to fulfil industry demands, said Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran (picture). He said such jobs are imperative to the country in order to achieve its goal as a high-income nation by 2020.
“These skills do not require tertiary education, but the technical and vocational education and training (TVET),” he said in a statement yesterday.
He said the need for new collar jobs came after the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) concluded its eighth meeting this year.
TVET is one of the key components in the 10th Malaysia Plan. It is the primary force of the government’s aspiration to raise the percentage of skilled workers in the country to 35% in 2020 from the current 28%.
However, it was highlighted last month that while 92% of TVET graduates are able to obtain employment after graduation, about 70% of them earn less than RM1,500 per month.
Since its first meeting in January this year, NLAC has deliberated on various important issues pertaining to labour and human resources. These include the proposed amendments to labour laws, the national human resources policy framework and the code of conduct for industrial harmony.
NLAC has also established technical committees on labour laws reform and other issues such as future of work.
“I am pleased to note that our efforts in the technical committees have been fruitful. For example, the good work of the technical committee paved the way for the Parliament to pass the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities (Amendment) Bill 2019 recently,” said Kulasegaran.
Meanwhile, the Human Resources Ministry has taken note of the Malaysian Trade Union Congress’ (MTUC) request for details of the Integrated Foreign Workers Management Systems’ enhanced system to be tabled in the NLAC meeting for collective deliberation.
The MTUC also welcomed the ministry’s proposal to incorporate the Code of Conduct of Industrial Harmony into the regulations of the Industrial Relations Act 1967, said Kulasegaran.
Earlier in the meeting, the NLAC was briefed about the study tour to Australia’s Fair Work Commission, Fair Work Ombudsman and the Federal Court in Melbourne, Australia, on employment and industrial relations issues. The ninth NLAC meeting is expected to be held on Sept 27.
The ministry, in collaboration with the Finance Ministry, will hold a Budget 2020 focus group meeting on enhancing employee welfare and employment opportunities next week.
NLAC members representing employers and employees have been invited to attend the focus group meeting for their input and feedback on the subject matter.
FOR too long, HR experts around the world have been debating what to do about the pressing skills gap issue.
We are now at a stage where our HR profession needs to take the lead before this issue becomes a full-blown crisis.
About half of employers across the world are reporting difficulties in filling a variety of roles, with the fields of skilled trades and engineering high on the danger list.
Almost two-thirds of children starting school today will work in roles that have not yet been invented. — 123rf.com
The problems are not confined to entry-level roles by any means; the skills that many of us will have developed earlier in our careers can become obsolete a few years later. In highly technical roles, learned skills can have a lifespan of just two-and-a half years.
OECD data shows around a third of the global labour force, over a billion people, had the wrong skills needed for their particular jobs. The estimated cost is an annual GDP loss of US$5trillion (RM21.25trillion), bigger than the size of Germany GDP.
As a knowledge-based company, the necessity to have constant access to the right Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills made us come up with a solution: a talent ecosystem that is interconnected and ensures there is a constant supply of talent by nurturing skills as early as the kindergarten and developing those skills throughout school, university and during careers with the company.
However, as we and other emerging market corporations seek to become truly global players, such a talent ecosystem does not automatically ensure that we have the right type of culturally aware staff with an international mindset helping us expand effectively on a global scale.
Against this background, we need a global solution by which we share best practices on how to tackle the skills gap.
One solution could be a “human-centred” approach by which we as HR professionals ensure that nobody is left behind in the Industrial Revolution 4.0.
By human-centred, we mean putting the individual first, tailoring talent and skills development to personal needs of students and employees.
For a human-centred talent development system to work, there should be a set of guiding principles or a framework in place adopted by employers, governments and educational institutions as best practice.
We recently together with our partners identified five such principles which could be summed up as follows:
Skills of the future (everyone should be equipped with future proof basic skills – including cognitive, social, cultural and digital);
Self-sustainability (everyone has the right to follow a unique and individual career path during their entire professional development);
Skills liquidity (information on job vacancies should be easily accessible around the world; employees hired only on skills and experience, regardless of education, gender, race, social status or physical health);
Labour market transparency (labour mobility, flexible and remote ‘virtual’ employment should be available to all, regardless of current place of residence) and
Diversity of values (the workplace and working conditions should support the professional and personal development of each employee, regardless of their values and beliefs).
Not a single company, not a single state, not even the largest one in the world can change the labour market culture on its own.
That is why we believe that such a framework of human-centred principles is a good starting point for bringing about change in the way we see talent and skills development in the workplace.
Let’s start this change today before it’s too late.
SUNGAI BULOH: Daikin Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Daikin Malaysia) menyasarkan untuk melatih seramai 3,000 juruteknik melalui pelaksanaan program pembangunan sumber manusianya iaitu Air-Conditioner Certified Technician (ACCT) menjelang 2020.
Program yang dijalinkan melalui kerjasama Jabatan Tenaga Manusia (JTM) itu bertujuan bagi meningkatkan kemahiran dan kecekapan juruteknik dalam industri penyejukbekuan dan penyaman udara.
Ketua Pegawai Operasi Daikin Malaysia, Ooi Cheng Suan berkata, pelaburan terhadap sumber manusia adalah penting bagi syarikat di samping pelaburan terhadap kemudahan dan fasiliti tempat latihan.
Menurutnya, Daikin Malaysia mengamalkan falsafah Pengurusan Individu Berpusat (PCM) iaitu satu prinsip kepimpinan yang mempercayai kumulatif pembangunan setiap individu dalam sesebuah syarikat adalah asas kepada pembangunan bagi syarikat terbabit.
“Kami percaya usaha untuk memperkenalkan program ini adalah wajar bagi menaik taraf kualiti servis dalam industri terutama untuk pengguna jenama Daikin,” katanya pada majlis menandatangani memorandum perjanjian (MoA) dengan JTM di sini, semalam.
Hadir sama adalah Menteri Sumber Manusia, M Kulasegaran, Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Sumber Manusia, Datuk Muhd Khair Razman Mohamed Anuar, Ketua Pengarah JTM, Sutekno Ahmad Belon dan Ketua Eksekutif Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Bhd (PSMB), Elanjelian Venugopal.
Selain MoA, Daikin Malaysia turut menandatangani memorandum persefahaman dengan JTM dan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Bhd (PSMB) bagi menyediakan yuran penyertaan program yang berjumlah hanya RM190 berbanding RM900 jumlah yuran asal berikutan pemberian subsidi yang diberikan kepada bakal pelatih.
Komen: Kerjasama industri & pusat latihan awam sebegini memang patut dipuji, digalakkan & dijadikan contoh kepada industri/syarikat swasta yang lain. Dalam penyediaan Rancangan Malaysia ke-12 (RMK 12), kumpulan fokus TVET juga berpendapat latihan praktikal/industri yang diterajui oleh industri atau bertempat di kilang/premis industri adalah amat penting dan lebih berhasil berbanding dengan latihan sekadar di institusi latihan sahaja.
(From left) Siemens German senior director of foreign sales automation factory Sascha Maenni and Siemens senior vice president and head of digital industries Adam Yee at the Letter of Intent signing ceremony with UniMAP deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International) Professor Dr Rezuwan Kamaruddin (second from right) and UniMAP dean, Faculty of Engineering Technology Associate Professor Dr Abu Hassan Abdullah (right).
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) diploma holders can now pursue their studies in a new bachelor’s degree program at four universities under the Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN).
The Bachelor of Technology (Hons) Degree in Industrial Electronic Automation was introduced at the Letter of Intent (LoI) signing ceremony between Siemens Malaysia and MTUN — Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) and Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) recently.
The LoI is a precursor to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will be signed later in October.
UniMAP deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International) Professor Dr Rezuwan Kamaruddin said that the degree program will provide a path for TVET diploma holders to gain higher academic recognition.
“This is also a platform to produce a highly competent workforce and enhance the students’ skill sets in the future,” he said.ADVERTISING
Siemens Malaysia senior vice president and head of digital industries Adam Yee said that the new degree aims to produce fresh graduates specialised in the roles of system integration.
“It is a truly one-of-a-kind industry-academia collaboration in which the graduates will not only receive their Honours degree certificates but also a professional training qualification from Siemens, which will greatly aid in employment opportunities and careers within different organisations and the industry.
“We will ensure that the resources and training provided are fully sufficient and sustainable so that the universities can do their best in the course delivery,” he said.
According to Yee, in order for the industry to support education, the cooperation with partners in the education sector is highly essential.
“The road to Industry 4.0 is only possible with digitalisation and for that, this requires quality education that is industry-adaptive and skilled human resource.
“In fact, this Bachelor’s degree course is an extension of yet another initiative from our original SITRAIN – Digital Industry Academy program, which was first launched in 2012 when we realise the need to customise training in order to address existing skills gap between the system integrator and end users.
“Being a strong supporter of TVET as a mandatory criterion in the industry infrastructure, we have also established our Siemens Innovative and Resources Training Centre (SIRTC) which encompasses several labs that have been developed for the Industrial Revolution 4.0,” he added.
The degree program will see Siemens’ Total Integrated Automation modules being taught across different disciplines as the syllabus has been co-developed between Siemens Malaysia and the universities.
UTHM deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International) Professor Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman said that there will also be a two-way Training of Trainers to further reinforce the curriculum.
“Siemens will help to train our lecturer in terms of practical knowledge. At the same time, our lecturers will also provide trainings for Siemens in pedagogical area to ease the process of teaching and learning,” he continued.
UniMAP Faculty of Engineering Technology (Electronic Department) lecturer Ahmad Nasir Che Rosli who has been involved in jointly devising and curating this new program said this collaboration will open up opportunities for the MTUN students to undergo Industrial Attachment with Siemens partners and customers.
“The involvement of industries in developing the curriculum has been very encouraging. We will have a series of workshop and meeting be it at MTUN level or the university level itself,” he said.
Also present at the LoI signing ceremony were representatives from MTUN.
UniMAP and UTHM will be welcoming their new intake of students for this program on September 1 while UTeM and UMP will follow thereafter.
Comments: It’s not just Bachelor of Technology (Hons), TVET or SKM graduates can soon be able to further their qualifications & enable them to rise beyond just a technician, to be in the management level (manager, senior manager, director etc) with management related diploma & degree. You may explore your options here with Unirazak & express your interest by filling up the form if you’re interested to know further.
KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 1): The Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN) and Siemens Malaysia have inked a landmark collaboration that is set to prepare university graduates for the eventual world of systems integration.
MTUN and Siemens signed a letter of intent today as a symbolic significance that is meant to be a precursor to the memorandum of understanding agreement to be inked later in October.
In a statement today, Siemens said following this letter of intent, a new degree program called the Bachelor of Technology (Hons) Degree in Industrial Electronic Automation will be launched, with the first intake of students to be enrolled on Sept 1.
MTUN is an umbrella network of four universities, namely Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), and Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP).
Siemens said ths collaboration is divided into two phases, with the first phase of student enrolment undertaken by UniMAP and UTHM as official pioneers to the start of the course.
It said UniMAP and UTHM will have 30 students each for this September intake, while Phase 2 will follow suit at a later stage for the two other institutions, namely UTeM and UMP.
This industry-education partnership for both MTUN and Siemens marks the first-of-its-kind cooperation that is rare even within the sector, embedding industrial training and software learning into the academic curriculum throughout the student’s degree over 3½ years.
It will see Siemens’ Total Integrated Automation modules being taught across the different disciplines for the syllabus which has been co-developed between Siemens Malaysia and the respective university.
During this time, industrial training will be provided for 1½ years and the two remaining years will be for classroom learning.
Upon graduation, students will be able to earn not just their Honors degree from a locally accredited university but also a professional certification from Siemens as qualified and versatile system integrators.
Siemens Malaysia senior vice president and head of digital industries Adam Yee said the launch of the Bachelor’s degree program is a further extension of the firm’s continuous efforts to its existing Siemens Innovation and Resources Training Center (SITRAIN) program that has already produced many skilled graduates for the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) pipeline sustainability, and reaffirms Siemens as the nation’s preferred technology and education partner for TVET and industry 4.0.
Meanwhile, UniMAP Faculty of Engineering Technology (Electronic Department) lecturer Ahmad Nasir Che Rosli said this collaboration with Siemens Malaysia will open up opportunities for MTUN students to undergo industrial attachment with Siemens partners and customers.
“The involvement of industries in developing the Bachelor of Technology curriculum has been very encouraging. In fact, MTUN has always engaged with the industries right from the start of the development process. Our practice is to have a series of workshops and meetings organized together, be it at MTUN level or the university level itself,” he said.
Source: www.theedgemarkets.coms
Comments: This is indeed a first of it’s kind and hopefully, more TVET industries would collaborate with TVET institutions, government or private, whether at certificate (SKM), diploma level (DKM) or advanced diploma (DLKM)
Continuous efforts in strengthening technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has yielded success, according to the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 Annual Report 2018. — NSTP/ASWADI ALIAS.By Sarah Rahim, Hana Naz Harun – July 29, 2019 @ 7:34pm
KUALA LUMPUR: Continuous efforts in strengthening technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has yielded success, according to the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 Annual Report 2018.
Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said the significant achievements include an increase in TVET graduates’ employability from 12,803 in 2017 to 13,740 last year (2018).
Since helming the ministry, various initiatives were introduced to make TVET a career pathway of choice among students.
The initiatives include having a TVET Empowerment Committee to develop a new policy relevant to industrial needs, apprenticeship, professional certification, entrepreneurship and community college certification pathways.
The ministry also collaborates with industry players, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation Sdn Bhd, as well as Pondok Perdana to empower and value-add the skills of ‘pondok’ students through structured and organised programmes.
Maszlee was presenting the annual report at Sasana Kijang. Also present was Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching.
He also said the pioneer Zero Dropouts programme had reduced the percentage of dropouts by 26.1 per cent for secondary students and 25.6 per cent for primary students.
“Perlis succeeded in getting 100 per cent dropouts to enrol back in schools from August to November last year,” he said.
Among other highlights include a jump in national pre-school enrolment from 84.3 per cent in 2017 to 85.4 per cent last year.
Maszlee also said the number of schools which had excelled in incorporating the Higher Order Thinking Skills rose from 13 in 2017 to 189 last year.
Despite the achievements, Maszlee said there were still overall improvements that were needed.
He said the ministry still faced various challenges on culture, monitoring and resolution, and the ability to effectively engage stakeholders.
“In my opinion, these challenges are the main cause as to why some of the initiatives have been interrupted or stopped.”
Maszlee also said the ministry was looking into the blueprint to ensure of its relevance.
“We have the same vision and mission, but we need to drastically improve our execution,” he said, adding that the National Education Policy Review Committee had found after a six-month evaluation that although the blueprint was still relevant, there were several bold changes that needed to be carried out.
“It is not the time yet to reveal the details of the suggestions by the committee but the basic concept would include realigning the grading approach based on age or single education pathway,” he said, adding that a complete report was expected to be ready by year end.
School leavers with the ambition of becoming professional drone pilots can soon take a course on Drone Piloting under a vocational programme at colleges and polytechnics around the country.
With the launch of this standard, vocational and private educational institutions can now offer Drone Piloting courses under the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme and be awarded the SKM (Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia) or a Malaysia Skills Certificate.
At the moment, several private organisations have been offering courses in various aspects of drone operation; for mapping, facilities inspection, progress report (for property developers and construction projects), film and drama production, news, the acquisition of aerial footage and photographs.
These courses last from two days (for basic operation of a drone) to a few days covering the various aspects of drone piloting for specific purposes such as mapping.
Before the launch of the NOSS Standard, formal government-recognised certification for drone piloting courses were not available for the aspiring pilot.
As the usage of drones expands, beyond a hobby to industrial use, the need for trained pilots who have gone through structured instructions based on an accepted and recognised national standards, become increasingly pressing.
Especially now that the word ‘drone’ appears in the media daily from all over the world; both negative and positive news.
But it is always the negative aspects that capture the public’s imagination and it is up to the industry to dispel negativity and myths that surround drones.
One positive effort is the adoption of formalised training for drone operators; people who not only know how to operate them safely within the limitations of each type of craft but who are also aware of the legal and regulatory requirements in the operation of drones.
Sometime in 2017, Malaysia Unmanned Drones Activist Society (MUDAS), a non-governmental organisation devoted to the development and advancement of drones in the country, initiated discussions with the Department of Skills Development or Jabatan Pembangunan Kemahiran (JPK) to develop a formal curriculum for the training of drone pilots under the vocational programmes of the many polytechnics and colleges spread throughout the country.
MUDAS is a non-governmental organisation devoted to the development and advancement of drones in the country.
L – R: Khairul Arriffin Aziz, CEO AECA Solutions William Alvisse, MUDAS Executive Secretary Mohd Noor Rahim, MUDAS Deputy Chairman, Hj Zaid bin Mat San, Deputy Director Curriculum Unit, NOSS (Photo by Haidar Abu Bakar)
The NGO has been in the forefront of promoting dialogue with government agencies that are involved in regulating and controlling the nation’s airspace, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), the Jabatan Ukur dan Pemetaan Negara (JUPEM), the survey and mapping department, which has traditionally been the authority overseeing aerial photography, especially mapping because of its implications on national security, and other organisations that have direct and indirect interests in the operation of ‘drones’.
“MUDAS initiated contact with JPK in late 2017 to moot the idea of drone pilot training under the National Occupational Skills Standard (NOSS) programme,” said Executive Secretary William Alvisse.
“In mid-2018 an expert panel was formed comprising of representatives from CAAM, Jupem and MCMC (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission) to create the current Curriculum,” Alvisse added.
Husni Faiz, a graduate of Electrical Power Engineering and a full-time pilot under BIP Studio and drone piloting trainer welcomes the NOSS Standards.
Husni Faiz, professional drone pilot and trainer
“It’s vital for those intending to be professional drone pilots undergo formal training such as the structure that is recommended in the NOSS standard.
“While recreational flyers may not need the entire course structure, it would be a good idea if parts or modules of that could be offered to training companies to train the hobbyists and recreational flyers,” he added.
Husni also trains pilots under his Akufly Academy.
“Having the NOSS training standard is good for the industry, said Kamarul A Muhamed, CEO of the Aerodyne Group.
Kamarul A Muhamed CEO Aerodyne Group
Aerodyne operates in 11 countries and is regarded as the premier drone services company, providing integrated managed solutions for the petroleum, civil engineering and facilities industry.
It employs 300 people, 1/3rd of whom are drone pilots.
“A structured drone piloting course will increase the level of competence and will lead to better safety and quality of operations,” he added.
Currently, Aerodyne trains its local pilots locally and in-house following the structure set by training schools in the UK and Australia where some of their pilots and trainers have been trained. The company then structure their training based on the training syllabus of these schools.
The Aerodyne pilots operating in their international markets are trained at authorised training schools for certifications should this be available in that particular country.
As a renowned global drone services company, recruitment isn’t an issue with many would-be pilots clamouring to join the group.
“The challenge, however, is in getting good technical pilots with the right mentality for enterprise-level work,” Kamarul said.
Kamarul lists technical ability, having a global mindset, the ability to communicate well and good and diligent in report writing, and problem-solving skills as the key factors he looks for in a candidate.
Drone Academy Asia provides training for drone operators and its graduates receive a “globally recognised DJI certificate”.
A representative of the academy said that they believe a formalised course structure is needed for the industry and that they are studying the NOSS standard and framework.
Located at the Cyberjaya Innovation Hub, Drone Academy offers courses in Aerial Mapping and Surveying, Precise Aerial Mapping and a Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) claimable Professional Drone Operator course.
The idea for a structured course, leading to certification is to produce well trained and competent workforce to meet the requirements of drone service companies to handle flights for mapping, facilities and structure monitoring, agriculture to name just three areas where drones are being increasingly used.
“There are two levels, Level 2 and 3 with 1,200 hours and 1,300 hours of training respectively,” said Alvisse.
“Upon completion of the training, candidates will be awarded an SKM (Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia) certificate,” Alvisse added.
“Just a word of caution though,” Kamarul said.
“In the long term drone piloting will be limited in requirements as the industry moves into pilotless autonomous operation.”
Which will then necessitate an overhaul of the training syllabus?
