Penang inks RM2m German skill training programme to meet industry needs

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Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said Penang’s unemployment figures have remained encouraging with the lowest unemployment rate in Malaysia now at 1.2 per cent. — Picture by K.E. OoiPenang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said Penang’s unemployment figures have remained encouraging with the lowest unemployment rate in Malaysia now at 1.2 per cent. — Picture by K.E. OoiGEORGE TOWN, Oct 6 — In a bid to meet the high demand for skilled workers in the state, Penang introduced today the first ever RM2 million German Dual Vocational Training (GDVT) programme with the signing of the training programme agreement.

Penang Skills Development Centre (PSDC) signed the agreement with the Malaysian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MGCC) and several host companies for an international training programme aimed to train students on-the-job.

“The vocational schools by the Education Ministry have failed to deliver in terms of quality graduates and this GDVT will fill the needs by the industry for skilled workers,” Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said, after witnessing the signing.

The DAP-led Penang government sponsored RM2 million towards the programme which will be conducted on-the-job at participating companies such as B Braun, Bosch, Carsem (M) Sdn Bhd, Dynacraft Industries, Inari Technology, Osram and Southern Steel.

“This is a German dual vocational training system and the first of its kind to be introduced in Malaysia,” Lim said at his speech during the signing ceremony at PSDC today.

He pointed out the uniqueness of the programme in which the students are hired by the training company as regular staff with a monthly salary while they are also getting trained concurrently at PSDC.

The first programme under the GDVT scheme in Penang is for mechatronics with a first batch of 22 students.

“We hope to open application for students not working in companies because the state government hopes to take in 500 to 600 students through our sponsorship,” Lim said.

He said the programme will also serve to reduce income inequality in Penang while improving the skills of a segment of the workforce.

“I hope more programmes such as this will be offered in future to result in more specialists in the local labour market,” he said.

Lim also said Penang’s unemployment figures have remained encouraging with the lowest unemployment rate in Malaysia now at 1.2 per cent.

Earlier, PSDC chairman Dr Juergen Schloesser said the GDVT programme is designed to upskill the existing technical workforce, especially from the operator and junior technician levels.

The main objective is to give employees an opportunity to acquire a recognised Malaysian Skills Diploma with a German Chamber (AHK) accreditation, he added.

PSDC will also be rolling out new modules to cover other industry sectors under the GDVT programme by next year.

– See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/penang-inks-rm2m-german-skill-training-programme-to-meet-industry-needs#sthash.r6KGPVIX.dpuf

MCA Youth holds second round of vocational education talks

TVET & Vocational Training - Malaysian News, ,

Leong (centre) and other MCA Youth members with posters promoting the talks.

KUALA LUMPUR: A series of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) education talk will be held in several states to promote its importance as an alternative education and career path for students.

MCA Youth secretary-general Datuk Leong Kim Soon said the second session of the talk was organised following the success of the first session in April.

“Unlike the first session which was organise in our headquarters and several MCA branches, this time, we will have it in secondary schools for students.

“We had the first educational talk of the second session in Segamat, Johor on Sept 13 and response was encouraging.

“More than 1,000 attendees are expected to attend the (TVET) educational talk and is open to the public,” he said during a press conference at Wisma MCA here.

The talks, organised by MCA Youth, will be held in Setiawan, Perak; Kapar, Selangor; Sungai Petani, Kedah; Kuala Lumpur, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan and Teluk Intan throughout October and November.

Leong reiterated that students should look into the importance of TVET as there was a severe shortage of skilled workers, especially in the agricultural and wood-based industries.

“Under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP), the Government announced an allocation of RM1bil for the Skills Development Fund for students to receive vocational education.

“However, vocational education should not be seen as an option for poor academic achievers but an additional choice for the right career path one wished to venture in,” he said,

“Parents should also encourage their children to consider vocational education as an alternative path in their career,” he said, adding that there will more talks to be added soon.

Technical training also for the gifted

TVET & Vocational Training - Malaysian News,

START a conversation about the education system and someone is bound to be riled up. With global indicators showing that our children lag behind in literacy and numeracy skills, and our graduates lack soft skills and are unemployable, it’s hardly surprising.

The common view is that we need to do something about our education system. But are we certain of the real problems and how we should solve them? First, we know that our human capital falls short in quality and quantity. We need more graduates, particularly in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Statistics show that about two-thirds of our workforce have secondary qualifications and below.

We look up to South Korea and envy its achievement in economic and human capital development. It managed to escape the middle income trap when we haven’t. At an extraordinary rate of 98 per cent, it boasts the highest gross tertiary education enrolment rate in the world. Virtually all South Korean youth go to university after secondary school. Like South Korean parents, Malaysian parents, too, place a high value on university education. We take pride in our children who have obtained a place in universities, and even more so, if they are abroad.

More universities were built locally as demand for higher education spiked, especially with the opening up of the industry to private sector players. As a result, our gross enrolment rates have increased from about 22 per cent in 1998 to about 37 per cent in 2013.

But, along the way, we realise that this approach is slowly breaking down. The economy is suffering from a severe labour mismatch amidst the persistent shortfall in the number of students in STEM.

Perhaps the economy doesn’t need as many university graduates. Even South Korea is being saddled with the same realisation. Although employing about 90 per cent of the South Korean workforce, its small and medium enterprises are unable to attract local talents who instead prefer to work with the higher-paying chaebols, or the top-ranked companies. In 2011, Lee Myung-Bak, the former South Korean president, warned its youth against a reckless entrance into universities. The Economist magazine said that the country is “glutted with graduates”.

But culture and perceptions are not easily changed. Our people — students, parents and policymakers — remain obsessed with obtaining university degrees.

Nowadays, there is increasing attention towards technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and, as PEMANDU’s analysis has revealed, at least 40 per cent of the jobs to be created by 2020 require such qualifications.

A group of educationists and policymakers are now looking to countries, such as Switzerland and Germany, for inspiration. TVET in these countries not only have the society buy-in, it is also employer and market-driven. In Switzerland, about 70 per cent of its youth are enrolled in the vocational stream. About 30 per cent of Swiss companies host apprentices. Likewise, in Germany, about 60 per cent of high school graduates go on a vocational training programme that embeds workplace training. Learning by doing is the cornerstone of their education system. As a result, the labour market in both economies held up pretty well during the European and global economic slowdown.The unemployment rate of 15-to-24-year-olds is relatively close to the adults (25-year-olds and above) unemployment rate, at about 1.5 times, when the global average is about three times.

TVET in Malaysia has been evolving. From vocational schools where fourth formers interested in a vocational course had to apply to special schools, to vocational programmes where students can choose a course at their local school, to basic vocational education where students can enrol in the vocational stream as early as Form One.

Access to vocational education has expanded. But, the main problem remains. Notwithstanding our achievements, vocational education is still seen as a choice for the “less-academically inclined” — a sugar-coated, politically-correct term — instead of it being career-centred. The moment TVET is sold as a route for those unable to perform academically, the more able students and their parents will immediately shy away from this path. The most needed reform would thus be to appreciate that, as much as STEM is no superior to non-STEM, the academic field is also no superior to TVET.

The two famous Adi Putras in this country — one a Maths genius, the other an actor — are both stars, but they are completely different. The point is, TVET should be made available to all, including the talented. We have to decide whether we want to do a South Korea or a Switzerland. Stop tinkering, because we need a whole new system. The writer is an independent researcher

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/news/2015/09/technical-training-also-gifted

Putrajaya to add 5 vocational colleges under 11MP

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Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin chairs a special meeting in Parliament, Kuala Lumpur, today. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Kamal Ariffin, June 10, 2015.Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin chairs a special meeting in Parliament, Kuala Lumpur, today. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Kamal Ariffin, June 10, 2015.

Putrajaya plans to add five new vocational colleges under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP), including upgrading secondary schools to cater for the increasing demand.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tanjung Pengelih in Pengerang, Johor, has also been identified to be upgraded as a vocational college under the 11MP and offer courses in “oil and gas”.

He said the move was in line with the government’s efforts to produce more technically qualified human capital to cater for an increasing demand for “game changers” based on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

 

The target is in line with the country’s objective of increasing quality TVET graduates under the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025 (Higher Education) that was launched recently.

Muhyiddin said the thrust on TVET would be enhanced by improving the quality of TVET curricula led by industry as well as new collaborations between the ministry and TVET providers and other agencies.

“Through the National Education System Transformation Agenda, we are targeting an overall increase in TVET enrolment by 2.5 times to 650,000 (by 2025),” said Muhyiddin when winding up debate on 11MP for the Education Ministry in Dewan Rakyat today.

Muhyiddin said the setting up of vocational colleges would not be merely based on certain areas or parliamentary constituency but rather various factors would be taken into account, including the aspiration and needs of the local community and industry as well as other requirements like the financial status of the government.

He said the programmes would be carried out through the 80 vocational colleges, 91 community colleges and 33 polytechnic colleges throughout the country.

Muhyiddin said the marketability of TVET graduates in employment after completing their studies (between 3 to 6 months) last year was 73.9% for polytechnic graduates and 94.2% for graduates from community colleges.  – Bernama, June 10, 2015

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/putrajaya-to-add-5-vocational-colleges-under-11mp

11MP – Forging ahead with skills training

TVET & Vocational Training - Malaysian News,

Under 11MP (11th Malaysia Plan ), technical and vocational education and training  (TVET) has finally been given an elevated status in our country’s five-year development plan. TVET or skills training, has always been a part of the Malaysia Plans, but never a major element.

TVET is one of the six game changers — together with productivity potential, middle-class society, green growth, innovation and competitive cities. It underscores TVET’s instrumental role in building the foundation of a high-skilled country by 2020.

A great deal of effort has already been made during the last five years, especially in two fronts — first, the mainstreaming of TVET to be at par with the traditional academic pathway and second, the enlargement of student access by establishing more TVET institutions and expanding the capacity of existing ones.

There were concerns that with so many blueprints and grandiose plans in the education sector, the vocational education transformation plan would take a back seat. But with the 11MP unveiled, we can shelf those concerns away.

Expect bigger push in the TVET sector in the next five years. Efforts undertaken during the last Plan will continue, but the emphasis this time, among others, will be on streamlining governance and service delivery and improving quality.

As in 10MP, the 11MP identifies current issues and challenges and then formulates strategies to overcome them. In TVET, topping the list of issues is the multiplicity of service providers. At present, seven ministries and agencies provide skills training. So do state agencies. In addition, there are more than 500 private education providers. To make the system even more complex, public TVET institutions were established at different times and with different governance systems and objectives.

Most have grown immensely in influence and relevance. For example, Mara has a strong presence in high-skilled TVET as well as a strong and longstanding collaboration with well-established partners from countries famous for their strong TVET sector, such as Germany and France.

The Human Resources Ministry, meanwhile, is able to leverage on its strong authority over human capital-related issues in the private sector. The extensive coverage of the National Occupational Skills Standards administered by the ministry’s Department of Skills Development (DSD) demonstrates this advantage.

Given that there’s no clear leader in TVET, no particular ministry or agency can be granted with an authority over the others. First, the fragmentation in the governance structure is deep-rooted. Large disruptions are likely to be counter-productive. Second, there is little point in creating a single institution that will weaken the unique strengths of each provider.

Instead, there is greater benefit in encouraging the providers to specialise or merge, and leverage on their existing strengths. In contrast, the idea of establishing a single governance system for accreditation and performance rating is more appealing. It is also strategic and practical. In business school-speak, they are the low-hanging fruits — slightly less in complexity but certainly not in significance.

Under the 11MP, the existing accreditation systems currently managed by the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA) and DSD will be consolidated. Likewise, the institutional rating systems, currently under the purview of DSD and Education Ministry, will be harmonised. We shall see how the government operationalises this in the next year and beyond. It includes whether a new body will be established to replace MQA and DSD in quality assurance. Although there are fewer agencies to deal with, it is still a big challenge.

In any case, we should aim to minimise duplication and leverage on the expertise in existing agencies. The new governance system should also be fully supported by the industry and private training providers. In fact, due consideration should be given on providing them with a greater role in the governance system. Such an architecture would make TVET more responsive, dynamic, efficient and sustainable.

BY MAZLENA MAZLAN – 27 MAY 2015

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/node/85824

National Service to teach technical and vocational skills

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New-look for National Service programme from 2016 onwards to include private sector involvement.

Hishammuddin_khidmat-negara_600PUTRAJAYA: Technical and vocational skills are to be taught to trainees in the National Service programme to prepare them for the job market, says defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein.

The new skills will add value to current modules on patriotism and unity and involve the private sector, he said.

Cabinet approval was sought last week, he said, for the new programme to be included in the 11th Malaysia Plan.

Hishammuddin said the involvement of the private sector would mean that the certificates given out would have more value, and the private sector would not simply reject job applications from former National Service trainees.

He expressed confidence that the new National Service session could begin early next year, after feedback on the new plans had been obtained from all concerned parties next week.

The prime minister, Najib Razak, had announced in his Budget speech in October that the National Service programme would be reviewed and new skills introduced. In January he also announced that this year’s programme would be postponed, to save RM400 million in costs, and allow a review.

More than 800,000 youths have undergone National Service training since it was introduced in 2004.

– BERNAMA

In race to hone talent, Penang to copy German vocational schools

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

Lim Guan Eng seen in this July 16, 2014 file picture. ― Picture by Choo Choy May Lim Guan Eng seen in this July 16, 2014 file picture. ― Picture by Choo Choy

MayKUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 — The German model of vocational training will soon become an integral part of human resource development in Penang, as the Pakatan Rakyat-led state launched today a multi-pronged approach to bolster what it claims to be flagging standards in the national education system.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state will be the first to adopt the German vocational school system, to help develop “high-performing education systems” that build both theoretical and practical skills.

“We must provide our youths with opportunities and supply them with platforms to demonstrate their talents and strengths,” he said of the system, which will be run within multi-national corporations operating out of Penang.

“It is only when we are bold enough to invest in education can we truly win the challenging future,” he added when launching the Engagement Science Technology Engineering English and Mathematics (ESTEEM) Teaching at the Karpal Singh Penang Learning Centre.

Apart from the new vocational system, Lim said his administration will also extend annual funding to all existing half-funded vernacular and religious schools, and build learning centres focused on teaching science, technology, English and mathematics.

Lim stressed that Malaysian students lag three years behind their peers in South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore based on the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) ranking, which rates the command of science, mathematics and reading among 15-year-olds.

He acknowledged that the Barisan Nasional federal governnment allocated some 20 per cent or RM56 billion of Budget 2015 for education, but claimed that the money will be spent “to satisfy the needs of bureaucrats” instead of improving on students’ learning.

“In fact, Malaysia spends less than Thailand in terms of education for students in their first 10 years of their education, from six years to 15 years old.

“Unless there is a paradigm shift towards investment in education, accompanied by high aspirations as a nation to build on human capital, we cannot be a high-income, developed economy,” he said, in a tacit reference to Putrajaya’s goal of achieving developed nation status by 2020.

Source: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/in-race-to-hone-talent-penang-to-copy-german-vocational-schools#sthash.vtD1cn0s.dpuf

Pay vocational graduates proportionately: Khairy

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Khairy defends Lim's RM175k salary | Daily Express Online - Sabah's Leading News Portal

Vocational and skills training institutes’ graduates shoud be paid salaries which commensurate with the qualification and skills they possess, said Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

According to him, the salaries offered so far were not up to expectations, despite the high amount spent by the government in improving the quality of education of vocational and skill training institutes’  graduates.

“Several countries with high technical competency such as Germany, Japan and South Korea have raised the standard of training skills that people in these countries have such high regards for those in these fields,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after delivering a talk titled ‘Malaysia’s Human Capital Towards High Income Economy’ at the University of Technology Malaysia’s (UTM) Kuala Lumpur campus, here Thursday.

Khairy said, the public, especially parents too needed to change their perception that only students who do not excel academically go through vocational education and skill trainings.

“Most parents want their children to be doctors, engineers, lawyers without seeing the potential of their children in the technical field, a field which is just as important for the economic development of the country,” he said.

Khairy said, graduates of vocational and skill training institutes also have high employability value.

He cited the National Youth Training Institute (IKBN) as having graduate employability level of up to 83 percent and efforts were being made to increase it to 90 percent by 2016.

“IKBN work alongside with several big companies such as Petronas, Samsung and Tan Chong Motors and Automotive Institute of Malaysia to ensure courses available suit industries’ needs and these companies provide training for students,” he said.

Source: http://www.dailyexpress.com.my (5th December 2014)

PSMB CEO removed for speaking out against contract scandal

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HRDF takes all allegations seriously, pledges to cooperate with ministryKUALA LUMPUR: The multi-million ringgit skills certification scandal at the Human Resources Development Corporation (PSMB) was marked by an intriguing power play that led to the removal of its chief executive officer.

Ali Badaruddin Abdul Kadir lost his job as the CEO early last month because he disagreed with the award of a lucrative contract to Bena College, which has no track record in running the “Recognition of Prior Learning” (RPL) programme. He was appointed as CEO in August 2013 on a two-year contract.

Sources said the scandal involved a high-level personnel shake-up with trails leading to the office of Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem.

Before he left, Ali Badaruddin held a meeting with his staff, running down PSMB’s decision to award the contract to Bena.

Ali Badaruddin’s removal upset some staff who then tipped off the media about the wrongdoings.

The CEO’s removal came on the heels of secretary-general Datuk Seri Zainal Rahim Seman’s swift transfer out of the ministry early this year, together with a number of other high-ranking officers.

They are said to be “non-compliant” with directives from “certain powerful people” in the ministry.

To complicate matters, a new CEO, said to be nominated by the minister’s office, had been prevented from taking office as his appointment did not adhere to bureaucratic procedures.

PSMB, an agency under the Human Resources Ministry, administers the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), which manages about RM1 billion in mandatory employer contributions for human capital development.

Recently, the government announced a RM400 million allocation for upskilling and reskilling programmes which cover the RPL and Malaysian Skills Certificate (MSC) programmes, among others.

Many workers in Malaysia acquired work skills on the job or through apprenticeships but have no documents to back them up. In fact, one of the ministry’s key performance indicators (KPI) is to get 700,000 unskilled workers “certified” by 2015.

It was claimed that the ministry had approved accreditation based on a separate module from the one traditionally recognised by the Department of Skills Development (DSD).

A major bone of contention was that Bena had been awarded the contract to assess so-called “skilled” workers based on standards that were much lower than DSD’s.

A 45-page report detailing the alleged wrongdoings had been sent to the higher-ups, including the Prime Minister’s Office, the sources said.

Among other things, the report questioned why no tender was called for the project despite the huge amount involved.

Potentially, there’s a lot of money to be made from training assessors capable of assessing employees. This is why Bena wanted to be part of the RPL scheme.

Formerly known as Bantin College, Bena is founded by Thomas Leong, who runs the Bengkel Niaga Ala Cina, an entrepreneur-training outfit which teaches Malay students how to “do business like the Chinese masters”.

Bena had recently advertised in a leading newspaper that it was recruiting assessors who had to pay RM400 to attend a one-day workshop on how to do RPL assessment.

The Heat reported that a training company representative who attended the workshop said it only lasted a couple of hours, and the assessment was too simplistic.

Bena had apparently impressed the ministry with its collaboration with a body called the Great Britain Consortium of Colleges (GBCC), which comprises four UK government colleges. GBCC would issue certificates for those assessed as “skilled” in their field.

Under the RPL by Bena, PSMB pays the assessor RM300 for each person who has been certified as “skilled” and an undisclosed amount to GBCC for issuing the certification, the sources said.

“If an assessor can find 100 people to be certified each month, he would make RM30,000 every month. In a year, that’s RM360,000. If you have 100 assessors, PSMB would need to fork out RM360 million a year. On top of that, HRDF still needs to pay GBCC for each certified worker,” a source said.

It is understood an undisclosed sum would also be paid to Bena, although it is unclear whether from PSMB or from GBCC.

See more at: http://theantdaily.com/

Comment: I was one of those who attended the seminar for Assessor (last day), which was advertised as one whole day but ended quite early. Was very suspicious & reluctant (to attend) initially but was told by my friend who went on the 1st day where he says that the HR Minister came to officiate it & the DG of Department of Skill Development (DSD) was there too (probably due to a directive by the Minister)!  

It sounded fishy from the start, with a project of such huge magnitude being awarded to a company where it’s bank account name is called Bengkel Niaga Ala Cina. When I emailed to submit my resume for their so called assessment (by British counterpart) before approval to attend the Assessor seminar, I got a shocked that they replied YES to me in less than 10 minutes. Was thinking, did they really went through my profile or just accepted anyone who applied (because they would be getting RM400 per applicant/attendee for a day’s seminar – hey, they’re making much better $$ compared to my 2 days organising of induction course with the DSD – only can charge RM350/pax for 2 days of hardwork & limited to 60 vs their capacity of few hundreds per session!) So they claimed to have close to 1,000 participants over the week (5 days). Ahem, that’s a collection of about RM400,000 (perhaps after deducting operational cost, including so many Gwei Lo’s flight & accomodation at Hilton Hotel), think the organiser still made at least over hundred thousands (not sure who else he needs to pay…)
Conclusion: The concept looks great but the way it’s being planned to be implemented, it just doesn’t look professional and to be more crude, it looks more like a scam job! 

Malaysian lad shines at World Skills Competition

TVET & Vocational Training - Malaysian News,

Kim Leun Shines With An Edge In Germany | Taylor's University

Chen showing his medallion of excellence and ‘Best of the nation’ medallion which he won in Germany.
Image credit: Taylors University

SEPANG: Chen Kim Leun’s mother is known for cooking simple food. The Negri Sembilan-born lad, on the other hand, is now known for creating complex dishes that can stand head-to-head with the world’s best.

At 22, Chen is ready to show the world what an outstanding cook he is, and he did so marvellously by clinching a medallion of excellence at the recently concluded 42nd World Skills Competition (WSC) held in Leipzig, Germany.

Open to those who are not older than 22, the World Skills Competition is dubbed as the “Olympics” for skilled youth and it provides a biennial platform for highlighting the very best in vocational training.

Every two years, hundreds of young skilled people from all over the world, accompanied by their teachers and trainers, gather together to evaluate themselves against international benchmarks for 46 categories of skilled trades.

A recent graduate in culinary arts from Taylor’s University, Chen did not expect he would go that far, even though he kept his composure while whipping up two appetisers, four main courses and two desserts.

“I never imagined any medals because the competition was stiff and the weather was challenging for me (a rather chilly summer). We were also required to present Western cuisine, which was an advantage for European contestants, but I did not give up,” said Chen, who hails from Bahau.

In the end, although eight other Malaysians also obtained medallions in their respective fields, Chen, who was awarded champion in culinary art at the 2012 Malaysia Skills Competition as well as gold at the Asean Skills Competition, walked away with the highest overall score compared to his fellow Malaysians.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Richard Riot, who welcomed the contingent home at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport yesterday, was beaming with pride.

“This is the 10th time that Malaysia has participated in the WSC and gaining the medallion for excellence has been our best achievement in various categories so far. I believe in the dedication of our skilled youths and I am confident that we can bring back at least one bronze medal at the next WSC, which will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil.”

Meanwhile, Chen himself is already aiming high.

“In five years’ time, I wish to see myself performing better at more competitions and hopefully, to run my own fine dining restaurant,” he said.

Source: Star Online – 10th July