Article #1
The National Dual Training System: An Alternative Mode of Training for Producing K-Workers in Malaysia?
(This paper was presented at the National Conference on Human Resource Development “Practices and Directions for a Developed Malaysia” in Putrajaya, Malaysia on 28-30 November 2005. Published in Aminah Ahmad, et al. (2005). Human Resource Development: Practices and Directions for a Developed Malaysia. Serdang: Universiti Putra Malaysia Press. pp. 3-8. [ISBN 983-3445-32-8]. )
Author
Ahmad Bin. Othman, PhD, Kolej Universiti Teknologi Tun Hussein Onn 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, MALAYSIA Email: ahmadbo@kuittho.edu.my
Abstract
This paper attempts to discuss the significant role of the National Dual Training System (NDTS), a newly introduced training initiative, for producing k-workers in the country. The decision to introduce this initiative was made by the Malaysian Cabinet on the 19th May 2004 with the hope that it will resolve the issue of skilled workers being produced but not meeting the needs of the industry. The initiative starts in 2005 for four skill sets, i.e., manufacturing tools (tool and dies), automatic control process, automotive mechanics and plant operations. Its implementation involves two parties: training providers and industries, where about 70 to 80 percent of training at the industries whilst the remaining 20 to 30 percent at the training institutes. After completion of four “semester” programme, apprentices are awarded the NDTS k-Worker Certificate. By 2010, this training initiative is expected to take 31,500 apprentices with an expected cost of more than RM230 millions in the form training allowances to the apprentices or an estimated cost of RM10,200 per apprentice. Review of literatures on the concept of apprenticeship as well as previous apprenticeship scheme that had been implemented in Malaysia such as the National Apprenticeship Scheme (NAS) are discussed. Analysis of literature shows that commitment of employers is the single most important factor to the success of the initiative. Other factors include the economic situation, incentives, learning processes and quality.
Keywords: Skills training, training management, human resource development, apprenticeship system.
INTRODUCTION
There is no doubt that education and skills training play a crucial role in the process of developing human resources for industrialisation. Realising the importance of education and training in fulfilling the educated and trained manpower needs, several developed countries such as Germany and Japan deliberately set and organise their education systems in order to speed up the modernisation of their economies (Timmons, 1988). Grayson voiced a similar expectation for education and training to improve the future economy of the United States of America as he argued, “America’s ability to compete in the world’s market place rests on the education of its people, but the educational system needs to be improved to assure a bright economic future” (Grayson, 1988, as cited in Razik and Nalbone, 1990).
In many other countries, especially developing countries, the responsibility for developing human resources rely heavily on the government. This is particularly true in the case of Malaysia, where the increase of government-led training capacities as well budget allocations can be seen as indicators. For example, the number of public skills training institutes has increased from one hundred in 1995 to more than two hundreds in the year 2000 (Othman and Morgan, 1998). Accordingly, an overall increase of 186 per cent allocation from RM582 million in the Sixth Malaysia Plan, 1991-95, to RM1,662 million in the Seventh Malaysia Plan, 19962000 (Othman, 2003a). In fact, the government continues to give a strong commitment in the development of human resources by increasing the allocation to RM3,760 million in the Eight Malaysia Plan, 2001-2005 (Othman, 2003b). In essence, various measures were taken to increase skills training capacity, including the continuous supports for the construction of new training institutes.
However, these measures were inadequate to meet the demand for skilled manpower as the growth in skilled manpower demand over recent years has outstripped the supply capacity of public training institutions, although training capacity had continuously been increased. Furthermore, it is quite impossible for these institutes to provide training to meet the specific needs of a particular industry or enterprise due to the complexity of each industry. Thus, training institutes should best focus on general skills.
Problem such as those mentioned above had attracted a great deal of attention from the government. The decision to introduce the National Dual Training System (NDTS) was the most recent initiative as an effort to resolve the issue of skilled workers being produced but not meeting the needs of the industry and at the same time to increase the production of k-workers in the country.
THE CONCEPT OF DUAL SYSTEM PROJECT
The National Dual Training System (NDTS) is actually an apprenticeship programme involving two parties, employers and apprentice. The concept of apprenticeship, as described by Liepman “is characterised by duality of its nature: the apprentice is both learning and earning, the employer is both training him and paying him for productive work”. She further explained that “apprenticeship… forms part of the system of education and part of the economic system and the adequacy of apprenticeship turns largely upon its success in harmonising the interests of education and the production” (Liepman, 1960).
The apprenticeship programme for the training of skilled manpower provides a good example where close partnership between the training institutions and employers can be fostered. Mathews regarded apprenticeship as “a model of skill formation” which involves a combined on-the-job and off-the-job or institutional training, a guaranteed employment throughout the training period, and a lower rates for indentured apprentices (Mathews, 1989). Coy saw apprenticeship as “the means of imparting a specialised knowledge to a new generation of practitioners … It is a means of learning things that cannot be easily communicated by conventional means” (Coy, 1989). Liepman described apprenticeship as beyond training when she argued that it is “not merely the future craftsman’s training, ..[but].. it is also used as a means for other ends, pertaining to the sphere of industrial relation in general” (Liepman, 1960).
In Germany, the dual system training has been implemented long ago with very strong support by industries. As Schmidt and Alex (1997) explained, “the dual system is founded on close links between public and private training organisations, between statutory provision and provision governed by collective agreements, and between public training policy and private training investment.” They also listed significant characteristics that made the German’s Dual System being recognised and thus supported by German industries, as follows: • participation of companies is voluntary, • standards and content of training are agreed by employers and trade unions and then legally codified, • cooperation between employers and trade unions at various levels supports and renews the system, • independence of the system is preserved through corporate bodies (chambers), • the system is financed mainly by corporate training providers, with supplementary funding coming from government, • the provision of further education includes both general and occupation-related theoretical study.
Schmidt and Alex (1997) also argue that the success of the German’s Dual System are mainly due to: (a) vocational qualification confers high standing in Germany, (b) skilled blue- and white-collar workers and SME craftsmen enjoy a high status in society, (c) VET is a primary political concern, (d) the Dual System is not questioned by any major political party as the most suitable system of VET, likewise both employers and trade unions regard it as the stable basis of their VET policy relationship, (e) large research and development institutes offer database and advice to employers, trade unions and the government, and they provide a platform for joint planning and for the improvement and adaptation of vocational training, (f) when planning VET, the government acts on the consensus principle, by building on the agreement of employers and trade unions, and (g) employers and trade unions provide on-going renewal of the training content and the examination syllabus.
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME IN MALAYSIA DURING THE SEVENTIES AND THE EIGHTIES: HAVE WE LEARNED SOMETHING?
The National Apprenticeship Scheme (NAS) was first introduced in Malaysia in 1957. The scheme was administered by the Central Apprenticeship Board (CAB), and later transferred to the National Industrial Training and Trade Certification Board (NITTCB). The scheme provided systematic training according to trade standards, and it was conducted only by Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) for duration of three to four years (Othman, 1992). This training scheme involved combination of institutional training at ITIs and on-the-job training in the employer’s establishment. As Fong explained that the scheme “is a joint effort by the government and industry to meet the requirements for skilled workers. While the government provides free training facilities, employers sponsor apprentices of their choice and provide in-plant training facilities for them” (Fong, 1986). The scheme was regulated by a contract which imposes mutual obligations on the parties concerned, that is the employer and the apprentice.
Realising the benefits that industry can gain from the scheme, the government has increased the capacity of the training workshop by building up new ITIs as well as upgrading the existing facilities. As the Labour and Manpower Report revealed that “the government would give greater emphasis to apprenticeship
scheme. The target is to have about 5,500 apprentices by 1986, when all the ten Industrial Training institutes under the Ministry of Labour and Manpower are operational” (Malaysia, 1981). With its objective of providing training for young workforce to become a fully skilled worker and with additional training places that were provided by the government, the scheme was expected to grow vigorously. However, it is interesting to observe that with seven ITIs in 1987, the scheme was only producing 73 apprentices, compared with only two ITIs in 1979, the output was 219 apprentices (see Table 1). Malaysia was not short of workers to be trained as reported by the Labour and Manpower Report that in 1987 the total number of semi-skilled and unskilled workers in construction and manufacturing industries was 374,354 (Malaysia, 1989), and they were the target group for the scheme.
Table 1 : Malaysia: Output apprentices from the National Apprenticeship Scheme between 1979 to 1987
Year Number of apprentices Number of ITIs Duration of training
completed the NAS
1979 219 2 4 years
1980 280 2 4 years
1983 243 3 3 years
1984 135 3 3 years
1987 73 7 3 years
Source : Malaysia, 1981; Malaysia, 1989; and Australia, 1986.
The apprenticeship scheme has always been given full support by the government. But, is that enough? It should not be taken for granted that the scheme will be plain sailing without any form of regulation or control, which can help to regulate the implementation of the scheme. An Australian mission who studied the implementation of the apprenticeship scheme in Malaysia revealed that “the absence of enforceable legislation regulating apprenticeship” (Australia, 1986), could be one of the causes of the failure. In fact, an Industrial Training Scheme Study conducted in 1984 for the Ministry of Human Resources had proposed “a legislative framework” to facilitate the cooperation between government, public sector training institutes and industry (Malaysia, 1985). The purpose of the legislation would be “to encourage the development of coordinated vocational training activities which truly reflect industries needs; to develop and improve job-seekers’ and employees’ levels of skill through obliging employers to facilitate approved training for all workers” (Malaysia, 1985). Unfortunately, the case was not strong enough to convince for the establishment of legislation as an instrument to facilitate the vocational training activities in the country.
As explained earlier that the pattern of apprenticeship programme involves a combination of institutional training at ITIs and on-the-job training in the employer’s establishment. This means that the capability of employers to run the on-the-job training determines to a large extent, the success of the programme. The Industrial Master Plan (IMP) Report gave a general remark on the characteristic of Malaysian industries and their capabilities with regard to the on-the-job training, as it stated “manufacturing industry in Malaysia is characterised … by assembly and process type production within the majority of firms. The training required … is for the relatively simple skills in assembly and process activities. Such [on-the-job] training is generally unstructured and given by foreman who have had no instruction in how to train or pass on acquired skills. As a result, the training given is not cost effective and unlikely to lay the solid base of practical knowledge and skill within the workforce that is needed to facilitate high product quality, productivity improvement and efficient use of plant and equipment” (Malaysia, 1985).
EMPLOYER' PARTICIPATION IN TRAINING: A DREAM BECOMES REALITY?
Employers, being a major consumer of skilled manpower, have to take a fair share of responsibility for the development of human resources particularly in specific skills. In fact they had been urged to play a greater role in training in meeting their own skilled manpower needs. For example, the Vice-President for PETRONAS suggested that there should be a change of attitude in private sector companies towards vocational training. He exclaimed that private sector companies should not wait for the output of the public training institutes and should instead be involved directly in the production of skilled manpower (Othman, 1992).
When the government launched the Industrial Master Plan in 1985 which charted the industrialisation strategy for the 1986-1995 periods, the focus was on high technology and capital-intensive industry and less emphasis on labour-intensive (Othman and Morgan, 1998). With these changes in the technology, continuous
training and retraining were becoming essential to equip workers with the most up-to-date skills. In order to support the initiative, the Double Deduction Incentive Taxation (DDIT) scheme was introduced in 1986. Many expected that this scheme would encourage greater private sector investment in training because they can claim the double deduction tax incentive for the allowable training expenses on their tax returns. Surprisingly, this scheme was not very popular among many employers. A survey on Performance, Problems and Prospects of the Manufacturing Sector conducted in 1991 by the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) revealed that 42.8 per cent of the respondents of 140 companies did not spend any expenditure on training, 19.3 per cent of respondents spent one per cent of payroll on training, 27.9 per cent of respondents spent between 2 to 5 per cent, 7.1 per cent of respondents spent between 6 to 10 per cent, and only 2.9 per cent of respondents spent above 10 per cent (Tan, 1991).
Another study was conducted by the World Bank in 1995 covering a sample of 3,378 manufacturing enterprises from all states in Malaysia, of which a total of 2,318 had responded. The study addressed the issue of whether it is still the case that employers in Malaysia “under invest in training” as claimed and cited in the study discussed earlier. The study found that manufacturing enterprises in Malaysia, in general, still “under invest” in training of their workers. There were only about 20 per cent of enterprises provided formal/structured training, whilst the remaining 80 per cent of enterprises either provided informal on-the-job training or do not provide any training at all (World Bank, 1997). This evidence seems to support the previous claims that employers “tend to under invest in formal skill training and skill upgrading” (Malaysia, 1991) and many of them did not incur any training expenditure (Tan, 1991). The World Bank study found several reasons for enterprises not participating in training: (i) the use of mature technologies with low skill needs, (ii) lack of knowledge about training methods, and (iii) limited resources for training (World Bank, 1997).
THE NATIONAL DUAL TRAINING SYSTEM: IS IT REALLY AN ALTERNATIVE MODE OF TRAINING OF PRODUCING K-WORKERS IN MALAYSIA?
As pointed out earlier that the National Dual Training System (NDTS), a newly introduced training initiative for producing k-workers in the country, is actually an apprenticeship programme. The decision to introduce this initiative was made by the Malaysian Cabinet on the 19th May 2004 with the hope that it will resolve the issue of skilled workers being produced but not meeting the needs of industry. The initiative starts in 2005 for four skill sets: (i) manufacturing tools (tool and dies), (ii) automatic control process, (iii) automotive mechanics and (iv) plant operations. It is implemented in two locations, i.e., 70 to 80 percent of training at the enterprises whilst the remaining 20 to 30 percent at the training institutes. It can be either a day-release or a block-release, convenient to the enterprises. In the day-release programme, apprentices are trained at the enterprise’s premise for 4 to 5 days a week and the remaining 1 to 2 days at the training institutes. In the block release programme, apprentices will undergo training for 4 to 5 months at the enterprises and 1 to 2 months at the training institutes. After the completion of four “semester” programme, apprentices are awarded the NDTS k-Worker Certificate (NVTC, 2005).
It is estimated that by the year 2010, this training initiative will produce 31,500 apprentices in various fields. The apprentices will be paid monthly allowance by the employers throughout the duration of training according to the following rates: (i) First semester, RM350, (ii) Second semester RM400, (iii) Third semester RM450, and (iv) Fourth semester RM500 (NVTC, 2005). This will incur a total cost for training allowances of more than RM230 millions until 2010 or an estimated cost of RM10,200 per apprentice. Other commitments include substantial cost for the training of trainers (ratio of trainers to apprentices is 1:20), the training of coaches (ratio of coaches to apprentices is 1:3), the development of National Occupational Core Curriculum (NOCC), the developments of Learn and Work Assignment (LWA) and training materials, and promotional activities.
With the implementation of the National Dual Training System, then there will be two systems running, i.e., the existing skills training which is institutional-based system leading towards the National Skill Certificate or Sail Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM) and the newly introduced dual-based system leading towards the NDTS k-Worker Certificate. What happen to the existing system once the NDTS takes full steam? Which certificate is more valuable in the eyes of employers? Is it really that the existing system produces trained workers but not meeting the needs of industry? Or, is the existing system short of characteristics that warrant to be called a “k-worker” as defined in the Dual System Project document which consists of “Learning-, Human and Social Competence?” (GTZ, 2004). These are some of the questions bubbling in one’s mind.
CONCLUSIONS
It seems the National Apprenticeship Scheme (NAS) which was implemented in Malaysia during the seventies and eighties really missed the duality aspect with the absence of commitment from employer towards the scheme, despite the government provision of free training facilities (Othman, 1992). But, it is unfair to blame on the employer alone for not responding to the scheme without looking at the scheme itself. The courses offered by the NAS were heavily biased towards trade course training, in terms of type of courses offered as well as the course contents. The government saw apprenticeship solely as a method and opportunity of training, with its policy, on the one hand, to increase the number of apprenticeship openings through ITIs; and on the other hand, to expands the trade course program by building up more skill training institutes. The aim was indeed praiseworthy, but it undermined the value of the apprenticeship itself, as Coy explained “the apprenticeship is the means of imparting a specialised knowledge to a new generation of practitioners … that cannot be easily communicated by conventional means” (Coy, 1989).
Perhaps one might argue that apprenticeship works best in a stable economic situation, and this argument could be true. As the figures from the Manpower Department of Malaysia showed that there were only 595 apprentices enrolled during the recession year of 1985, compared with 954 in the previous year (Australia, 1986). But, the evidence is not convincing enough to prove the notion, at least in Malaysian situation, because when we deal with a small number of persons joining the scheme at any one time regardless of any situations, either during a stable economic situation or during recession, it is rather difficult to judge for its effectiveness. Nonetheless Malaysian enterprises should learn from Japanese counterparts where “they do not respond to recession by cutting training budgets but by putting surplus man-hours to improving skill levels” (Dore and Sako, 1989).
Learning from the National Apprenticeship Scheme (NAS) experiences as well as the reluctance of Malaysian enterprises to invest in training (Tan, 1991; Malaysia, 1991; World Bank, 1997), few things need to be observed to ensure the success of the National Dual Training System (NDTS) as follows: (a) make full use of the Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) as the financer and thus the process of claim for reimbursement of the training costs under HRDF should be made friendlier, (b) identify suitable skills sets that are specialised in nature and cannot be easily communicated by conventional means due to either knowledge or equipment and machinery complexity, (c) a single enforceable legislation for administering and regulating the NDTS rather than relying on various regulations such as Employment Act 1955 and Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad Act 2001 for apprenticeship contracts, (d) development of a qualification that confers high standing in Malaysian economy rather than perplexity of certification system, (e) strengthening of the corporate bodies i.e., chambers as foundation for sustainable partnership, (f) provision of further education either within or outside the NDTS rather than dead-end system, and (g) make full use of research and databases available in the institutions of higher learning for long term solution of the system rather than piecemeal approach.
REFERENCES
Australia, (1986). The Training of Skilled Workers in Singapore, Malaysia and Negara Brunei Darussalam. Camberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. Coy, M.W. (ed) (1989). Apprenticeship: From Theory to Method and Back Again. New York: State University of New York Press.
Dore, R.P. and Sako, M. (1989). How the Japanese Learn to Work. London: Routledge.
Fong, C.O. (1986). New Economic Dynamo: Structures and Investment Opportunities in the Malaysian Economy. Sydney: Allen and Unwin. GTZ (2004). “Outline of the Dual System Project for the Reform of TEVT in Malaysia”. Notes presented to the Economic Planning Unit on 5 February 2004. Liepman, K. (1960). Apprenticeship: An Enquiry into Its Adequacy under Modern Conditions. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Malaysia (1981). Labour and Manpower Report 1980. Kuala Lumpur: Ministry of Labour and Manpower. Malaysia (1985). Medium and Long Term Industrial Master Plan Malaysia 1986-1995: Manpower and Training. Vol.III. Part 5. Kuala Lumpur:MIDA (Unpublished material). Malaysia (1989). Labour and Manpower Report 1987/1988. Kuala Lumpur: Ministry of Labour and Manpower
Malaysia (1991). Report of the Cabinet Committee on Training: Training for Industrial Development – Challenges for the Nineties. Kuala Lumpur: Economic Planning Unit.
Mathews, J. (1989). Tools of Change: New Technology and the Democratisation of Work. Sydney: Pluto Press.
NVTC (2005). Implementation of the National Dual Training System: Guides and Rules. Putrajaya: National Vocational Training Council.
Othman, A.B. (1992). “The Development of Technical Training in Malaysia”. Master of Education thesis. La Trobe University, Australia (Unpublished material). Othman, A.B. and Morgan, W.J. (1998). “Employers and the State in Malaysia: Towards a Partnership in Human Resource Development?” Paper presented at the Malaysian Education Research Association (MERA) Inaugural Conference, 28-30 April 1998, Penang.
Othman, A.B. (2003a). The Role of the National Vocational Training Council in the Management of Vocational Training in Malaysia: A Critical Evaluation. Batu Pahat: Penerbit KUiTTHO.
Othman, A.B. (2003b). “The Government-Industry Partnership in the Development of Skilled Manpower in Malaysia”. Paper presented at the Seventh Triennial AEESEAP Conference, 8-9 December 2003, University of Malaya.
Razik, T. and Nalbone, P.J. (1990). “Implementation of technological change for higher education reform.” Educational Technology Research and Development. Viol. 38, No.1, pp.65-75.
Schmidt, H. and Alex, L. (1997). “The Dual System of Vocational Education and Training in Germany”. In Roderick Millar and Jonathan Reuvid (eds.). Doing Business With Germany. London.
Tan, K.Y. (1991). “Malaysian Economic and Industrial Outlook 1991/1992”. Forum: Economic and Business Journal of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers. Timmons, G. (1988). Education, industrialisation, and selection. London: Routledge. World Bank (1997). Malaysia: Enterprise Training, Technology, and Productivity. Washington D.C: The World Bank.
The National Dual Training System: An Alternative Mode of Training for Producing K-Workers in Malaysia?
(This paper was presented at the National Conference on Human Resource Development “Practices and Directions for a Developed Malaysia” in Putrajaya, Malaysia on 28-30 November 2005. Published in Aminah Ahmad, et al. (2005). Human Resource Development: Practices and Directions for a Developed Malaysia. Serdang: Universiti Putra Malaysia Press. pp. 3-8. [ISBN 983-3445-32-8]. )
Author
Ahmad Bin. Othman, PhD, Kolej Universiti Teknologi Tun Hussein Onn 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, MALAYSIA Email: ahmadbo@kuittho.edu.my
Abstract
This paper attempts to discuss the significant role of the National Dual Training System (NDTS), a newly introduced training initiative, for producing k-workers in the country. The decision to introduce this initiative was made by the Malaysian Cabinet on the 19th May 2004 with the hope that it will resolve the issue of skilled workers being produced but not meeting the needs of the industry. The initiative starts in 2005 for four skill sets, i.e., manufacturing tools (tool and dies), automatic control process, automotive mechanics and plant operations. Its implementation involves two parties: training providers and industries, where about 70 to 80 percent of training at the industries whilst the remaining 20 to 30 percent at the training institutes. After completion of four “semester” programme, apprentices are awarded the NDTS k-Worker Certificate. By 2010, this training initiative is expected to take 31,500 apprentices with an expected cost of more than RM230 millions in the form training allowances to the apprentices or an estimated cost of RM10,200 per apprentice. Review of literatures on the concept of apprenticeship as well as previous apprenticeship scheme that had been implemented in Malaysia such as the National Apprenticeship Scheme (NAS) are discussed. Analysis of literature shows that commitment of employers is the single most important factor to the success of the initiative. Other factors include the economic situation, incentives, learning processes and quality.
Keywords: Skills training, training management, human resource development, apprenticeship system.
INTRODUCTION
There is no doubt that education and skills training play a crucial role in the process of developing human resources for industrialisation. Realising the importance of education and training in fulfilling the educated and trained manpower needs, several developed countries such as Germany and Japan deliberately set and organise their education systems in order to speed up the modernisation of their economies (Timmons, 1988). Grayson voiced a similar expectation for education and training to improve the future economy of the United States of America as he argued, “America’s ability to compete in the world’s market place rests on the education of its people, but the educational system needs to be improved to assure a bright economic future” (Grayson, 1988, as cited in Razik and Nalbone, 1990).
In many other countries, especially developing countries, the responsibility for developing human resources rely heavily on the government. This is particularly true in the case of Malaysia, where the increase of government-led training capacities as well budget allocations can be seen as indicators. For example, the number of public skills training institutes has increased from one hundred in 1995 to more than two hundreds in the year 2000 (Othman and Morgan, 1998). Accordingly, an overall increase of 186 per cent allocation from RM582 million in the Sixth Malaysia Plan, 1991-95, to RM1,662 million in the Seventh Malaysia Plan, 19962000 (Othman, 2003a). In fact, the government continues to give a strong commitment in the development of human resources by increasing the allocation to RM3,760 million in the Eight Malaysia Plan, 2001-2005 (Othman, 2003b). In essence, various measures were taken to increase skills training capacity, including the continuous supports for the construction of new training institutes.
However, these measures were inadequate to meet the demand for skilled manpower as the growth in skilled manpower demand over recent years has outstripped the supply capacity of public training institutions, although training capacity had continuously been increased. Furthermore, it is quite impossible for these institutes to provide training to meet the specific needs of a particular industry or enterprise due to the complexity of each industry. Thus, training institutes should best focus on general skills.
Problem such as those mentioned above had attracted a great deal of attention from the government. The decision to introduce the National Dual Training System (NDTS) was the most recent initiative as an effort to resolve the issue of skilled workers being produced but not meeting the needs of the industry and at the same time to increase the production of k-workers in the country.
THE CONCEPT OF DUAL SYSTEM PROJECT
The National Dual Training System (NDTS) is actually an apprenticeship programme involving two parties, employers and apprentice. The concept of apprenticeship, as described by Liepman “is characterised by duality of its nature: the apprentice is both learning and earning, the employer is both training him and paying him for productive work”. She further explained that “apprenticeship… forms part of the system of education and part of the economic system and the adequacy of apprenticeship turns largely upon its success in harmonising the interests of education and the production” (Liepman, 1960).
The apprenticeship programme for the training of skilled manpower provides a good example where close partnership between the training institutions and employers can be fostered. Mathews regarded apprenticeship as “a model of skill formation” which involves a combined on-the-job and off-the-job or institutional training, a guaranteed employment throughout the training period, and a lower rates for indentured apprentices (Mathews, 1989). Coy saw apprenticeship as “the means of imparting a specialised knowledge to a new generation of practitioners … It is a means of learning things that cannot be easily communicated by conventional means” (Coy, 1989). Liepman described apprenticeship as beyond training when she argued that it is “not merely the future craftsman’s training, ..[but].. it is also used as a means for other ends, pertaining to the sphere of industrial relation in general” (Liepman, 1960).
In Germany, the dual system training has been implemented long ago with very strong support by industries. As Schmidt and Alex (1997) explained, “the dual system is founded on close links between public and private training organisations, between statutory provision and provision governed by collective agreements, and between public training policy and private training investment.” They also listed significant characteristics that made the German’s Dual System being recognised and thus supported by German industries, as follows: • participation of companies is voluntary, • standards and content of training are agreed by employers and trade unions and then legally codified, • cooperation between employers and trade unions at various levels supports and renews the system, • independence of the system is preserved through corporate bodies (chambers), • the system is financed mainly by corporate training providers, with supplementary funding coming from government, • the provision of further education includes both general and occupation-related theoretical study.
Schmidt and Alex (1997) also argue that the success of the German’s Dual System are mainly due to: (a) vocational qualification confers high standing in Germany, (b) skilled blue- and white-collar workers and SME craftsmen enjoy a high status in society, (c) VET is a primary political concern, (d) the Dual System is not questioned by any major political party as the most suitable system of VET, likewise both employers and trade unions regard it as the stable basis of their VET policy relationship, (e) large research and development institutes offer database and advice to employers, trade unions and the government, and they provide a platform for joint planning and for the improvement and adaptation of vocational training, (f) when planning VET, the government acts on the consensus principle, by building on the agreement of employers and trade unions, and (g) employers and trade unions provide on-going renewal of the training content and the examination syllabus.
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME IN MALAYSIA DURING THE SEVENTIES AND THE EIGHTIES: HAVE WE LEARNED SOMETHING?
The National Apprenticeship Scheme (NAS) was first introduced in Malaysia in 1957. The scheme was administered by the Central Apprenticeship Board (CAB), and later transferred to the National Industrial Training and Trade Certification Board (NITTCB). The scheme provided systematic training according to trade standards, and it was conducted only by Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) for duration of three to four years (Othman, 1992). This training scheme involved combination of institutional training at ITIs and on-the-job training in the employer’s establishment. As Fong explained that the scheme “is a joint effort by the government and industry to meet the requirements for skilled workers. While the government provides free training facilities, employers sponsor apprentices of their choice and provide in-plant training facilities for them” (Fong, 1986). The scheme was regulated by a contract which imposes mutual obligations on the parties concerned, that is the employer and the apprentice.
Realising the benefits that industry can gain from the scheme, the government has increased the capacity of the training workshop by building up new ITIs as well as upgrading the existing facilities. As the Labour and Manpower Report revealed that “the government would give greater emphasis to apprenticeship
scheme. The target is to have about 5,500 apprentices by 1986, when all the ten Industrial Training institutes under the Ministry of Labour and Manpower are operational” (Malaysia, 1981). With its objective of providing training for young workforce to become a fully skilled worker and with additional training places that were provided by the government, the scheme was expected to grow vigorously. However, it is interesting to observe that with seven ITIs in 1987, the scheme was only producing 73 apprentices, compared with only two ITIs in 1979, the output was 219 apprentices (see Table 1). Malaysia was not short of workers to be trained as reported by the Labour and Manpower Report that in 1987 the total number of semi-skilled and unskilled workers in construction and manufacturing industries was 374,354 (Malaysia, 1989), and they were the target group for the scheme.
Table 1 : Malaysia: Output apprentices from the National Apprenticeship Scheme between 1979 to 1987
Year Number of apprentices Number of ITIs Duration of training
completed the NAS
1979 219 2 4 years
1980 280 2 4 years
1983 243 3 3 years
1984 135 3 3 years
1987 73 7 3 years
Source : Malaysia, 1981; Malaysia, 1989; and Australia, 1986.
The apprenticeship scheme has always been given full support by the government. But, is that enough? It should not be taken for granted that the scheme will be plain sailing without any form of regulation or control, which can help to regulate the implementation of the scheme. An Australian mission who studied the implementation of the apprenticeship scheme in Malaysia revealed that “the absence of enforceable legislation regulating apprenticeship” (Australia, 1986), could be one of the causes of the failure. In fact, an Industrial Training Scheme Study conducted in 1984 for the Ministry of Human Resources had proposed “a legislative framework” to facilitate the cooperation between government, public sector training institutes and industry (Malaysia, 1985). The purpose of the legislation would be “to encourage the development of coordinated vocational training activities which truly reflect industries needs; to develop and improve job-seekers’ and employees’ levels of skill through obliging employers to facilitate approved training for all workers” (Malaysia, 1985). Unfortunately, the case was not strong enough to convince for the establishment of legislation as an instrument to facilitate the vocational training activities in the country.
As explained earlier that the pattern of apprenticeship programme involves a combination of institutional training at ITIs and on-the-job training in the employer’s establishment. This means that the capability of employers to run the on-the-job training determines to a large extent, the success of the programme. The Industrial Master Plan (IMP) Report gave a general remark on the characteristic of Malaysian industries and their capabilities with regard to the on-the-job training, as it stated “manufacturing industry in Malaysia is characterised … by assembly and process type production within the majority of firms. The training required … is for the relatively simple skills in assembly and process activities. Such [on-the-job] training is generally unstructured and given by foreman who have had no instruction in how to train or pass on acquired skills. As a result, the training given is not cost effective and unlikely to lay the solid base of practical knowledge and skill within the workforce that is needed to facilitate high product quality, productivity improvement and efficient use of plant and equipment” (Malaysia, 1985).
EMPLOYER' PARTICIPATION IN TRAINING: A DREAM BECOMES REALITY?
Employers, being a major consumer of skilled manpower, have to take a fair share of responsibility for the development of human resources particularly in specific skills. In fact they had been urged to play a greater role in training in meeting their own skilled manpower needs. For example, the Vice-President for PETRONAS suggested that there should be a change of attitude in private sector companies towards vocational training. He exclaimed that private sector companies should not wait for the output of the public training institutes and should instead be involved directly in the production of skilled manpower (Othman, 1992).
When the government launched the Industrial Master Plan in 1985 which charted the industrialisation strategy for the 1986-1995 periods, the focus was on high technology and capital-intensive industry and less emphasis on labour-intensive (Othman and Morgan, 1998). With these changes in the technology, continuous
training and retraining were becoming essential to equip workers with the most up-to-date skills. In order to support the initiative, the Double Deduction Incentive Taxation (DDIT) scheme was introduced in 1986. Many expected that this scheme would encourage greater private sector investment in training because they can claim the double deduction tax incentive for the allowable training expenses on their tax returns. Surprisingly, this scheme was not very popular among many employers. A survey on Performance, Problems and Prospects of the Manufacturing Sector conducted in 1991 by the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) revealed that 42.8 per cent of the respondents of 140 companies did not spend any expenditure on training, 19.3 per cent of respondents spent one per cent of payroll on training, 27.9 per cent of respondents spent between 2 to 5 per cent, 7.1 per cent of respondents spent between 6 to 10 per cent, and only 2.9 per cent of respondents spent above 10 per cent (Tan, 1991).
Another study was conducted by the World Bank in 1995 covering a sample of 3,378 manufacturing enterprises from all states in Malaysia, of which a total of 2,318 had responded. The study addressed the issue of whether it is still the case that employers in Malaysia “under invest in training” as claimed and cited in the study discussed earlier. The study found that manufacturing enterprises in Malaysia, in general, still “under invest” in training of their workers. There were only about 20 per cent of enterprises provided formal/structured training, whilst the remaining 80 per cent of enterprises either provided informal on-the-job training or do not provide any training at all (World Bank, 1997). This evidence seems to support the previous claims that employers “tend to under invest in formal skill training and skill upgrading” (Malaysia, 1991) and many of them did not incur any training expenditure (Tan, 1991). The World Bank study found several reasons for enterprises not participating in training: (i) the use of mature technologies with low skill needs, (ii) lack of knowledge about training methods, and (iii) limited resources for training (World Bank, 1997).
THE NATIONAL DUAL TRAINING SYSTEM: IS IT REALLY AN ALTERNATIVE MODE OF TRAINING OF PRODUCING K-WORKERS IN MALAYSIA?
As pointed out earlier that the National Dual Training System (NDTS), a newly introduced training initiative for producing k-workers in the country, is actually an apprenticeship programme. The decision to introduce this initiative was made by the Malaysian Cabinet on the 19th May 2004 with the hope that it will resolve the issue of skilled workers being produced but not meeting the needs of industry. The initiative starts in 2005 for four skill sets: (i) manufacturing tools (tool and dies), (ii) automatic control process, (iii) automotive mechanics and (iv) plant operations. It is implemented in two locations, i.e., 70 to 80 percent of training at the enterprises whilst the remaining 20 to 30 percent at the training institutes. It can be either a day-release or a block-release, convenient to the enterprises. In the day-release programme, apprentices are trained at the enterprise’s premise for 4 to 5 days a week and the remaining 1 to 2 days at the training institutes. In the block release programme, apprentices will undergo training for 4 to 5 months at the enterprises and 1 to 2 months at the training institutes. After the completion of four “semester” programme, apprentices are awarded the NDTS k-Worker Certificate (NVTC, 2005).
It is estimated that by the year 2010, this training initiative will produce 31,500 apprentices in various fields. The apprentices will be paid monthly allowance by the employers throughout the duration of training according to the following rates: (i) First semester, RM350, (ii) Second semester RM400, (iii) Third semester RM450, and (iv) Fourth semester RM500 (NVTC, 2005). This will incur a total cost for training allowances of more than RM230 millions until 2010 or an estimated cost of RM10,200 per apprentice. Other commitments include substantial cost for the training of trainers (ratio of trainers to apprentices is 1:20), the training of coaches (ratio of coaches to apprentices is 1:3), the development of National Occupational Core Curriculum (NOCC), the developments of Learn and Work Assignment (LWA) and training materials, and promotional activities.
With the implementation of the National Dual Training System, then there will be two systems running, i.e., the existing skills training which is institutional-based system leading towards the National Skill Certificate or Sail Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM) and the newly introduced dual-based system leading towards the NDTS k-Worker Certificate. What happen to the existing system once the NDTS takes full steam? Which certificate is more valuable in the eyes of employers? Is it really that the existing system produces trained workers but not meeting the needs of industry? Or, is the existing system short of characteristics that warrant to be called a “k-worker” as defined in the Dual System Project document which consists of “Learning-, Human and Social Competence?” (GTZ, 2004). These are some of the questions bubbling in one’s mind.
CONCLUSIONS
It seems the National Apprenticeship Scheme (NAS) which was implemented in Malaysia during the seventies and eighties really missed the duality aspect with the absence of commitment from employer towards the scheme, despite the government provision of free training facilities (Othman, 1992). But, it is unfair to blame on the employer alone for not responding to the scheme without looking at the scheme itself. The courses offered by the NAS were heavily biased towards trade course training, in terms of type of courses offered as well as the course contents. The government saw apprenticeship solely as a method and opportunity of training, with its policy, on the one hand, to increase the number of apprenticeship openings through ITIs; and on the other hand, to expands the trade course program by building up more skill training institutes. The aim was indeed praiseworthy, but it undermined the value of the apprenticeship itself, as Coy explained “the apprenticeship is the means of imparting a specialised knowledge to a new generation of practitioners … that cannot be easily communicated by conventional means” (Coy, 1989).
Perhaps one might argue that apprenticeship works best in a stable economic situation, and this argument could be true. As the figures from the Manpower Department of Malaysia showed that there were only 595 apprentices enrolled during the recession year of 1985, compared with 954 in the previous year (Australia, 1986). But, the evidence is not convincing enough to prove the notion, at least in Malaysian situation, because when we deal with a small number of persons joining the scheme at any one time regardless of any situations, either during a stable economic situation or during recession, it is rather difficult to judge for its effectiveness. Nonetheless Malaysian enterprises should learn from Japanese counterparts where “they do not respond to recession by cutting training budgets but by putting surplus man-hours to improving skill levels” (Dore and Sako, 1989).
Learning from the National Apprenticeship Scheme (NAS) experiences as well as the reluctance of Malaysian enterprises to invest in training (Tan, 1991; Malaysia, 1991; World Bank, 1997), few things need to be observed to ensure the success of the National Dual Training System (NDTS) as follows: (a) make full use of the Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) as the financer and thus the process of claim for reimbursement of the training costs under HRDF should be made friendlier, (b) identify suitable skills sets that are specialised in nature and cannot be easily communicated by conventional means due to either knowledge or equipment and machinery complexity, (c) a single enforceable legislation for administering and regulating the NDTS rather than relying on various regulations such as Employment Act 1955 and Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad Act 2001 for apprenticeship contracts, (d) development of a qualification that confers high standing in Malaysian economy rather than perplexity of certification system, (e) strengthening of the corporate bodies i.e., chambers as foundation for sustainable partnership, (f) provision of further education either within or outside the NDTS rather than dead-end system, and (g) make full use of research and databases available in the institutions of higher learning for long term solution of the system rather than piecemeal approach.
REFERENCES
Australia, (1986). The Training of Skilled Workers in Singapore, Malaysia and Negara Brunei Darussalam. Camberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. Coy, M.W. (ed) (1989). Apprenticeship: From Theory to Method and Back Again. New York: State University of New York Press.
Dore, R.P. and Sako, M. (1989). How the Japanese Learn to Work. London: Routledge.
Fong, C.O. (1986). New Economic Dynamo: Structures and Investment Opportunities in the Malaysian Economy. Sydney: Allen and Unwin. GTZ (2004). “Outline of the Dual System Project for the Reform of TEVT in Malaysia”. Notes presented to the Economic Planning Unit on 5 February 2004. Liepman, K. (1960). Apprenticeship: An Enquiry into Its Adequacy under Modern Conditions. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Malaysia (1981). Labour and Manpower Report 1980. Kuala Lumpur: Ministry of Labour and Manpower. Malaysia (1985). Medium and Long Term Industrial Master Plan Malaysia 1986-1995: Manpower and Training. Vol.III. Part 5. Kuala Lumpur:MIDA (Unpublished material). Malaysia (1989). Labour and Manpower Report 1987/1988. Kuala Lumpur: Ministry of Labour and Manpower
Malaysia (1991). Report of the Cabinet Committee on Training: Training for Industrial Development – Challenges for the Nineties. Kuala Lumpur: Economic Planning Unit.
Mathews, J. (1989). Tools of Change: New Technology and the Democratisation of Work. Sydney: Pluto Press.
NVTC (2005). Implementation of the National Dual Training System: Guides and Rules. Putrajaya: National Vocational Training Council.
Othman, A.B. (1992). “The Development of Technical Training in Malaysia”. Master of Education thesis. La Trobe University, Australia (Unpublished material). Othman, A.B. and Morgan, W.J. (1998). “Employers and the State in Malaysia: Towards a Partnership in Human Resource Development?” Paper presented at the Malaysian Education Research Association (MERA) Inaugural Conference, 28-30 April 1998, Penang.
Othman, A.B. (2003a). The Role of the National Vocational Training Council in the Management of Vocational Training in Malaysia: A Critical Evaluation. Batu Pahat: Penerbit KUiTTHO.
Othman, A.B. (2003b). “The Government-Industry Partnership in the Development of Skilled Manpower in Malaysia”. Paper presented at the Seventh Triennial AEESEAP Conference, 8-9 December 2003, University of Malaya.
Razik, T. and Nalbone, P.J. (1990). “Implementation of technological change for higher education reform.” Educational Technology Research and Development. Viol. 38, No.1, pp.65-75.
Schmidt, H. and Alex, L. (1997). “The Dual System of Vocational Education and Training in Germany”. In Roderick Millar and Jonathan Reuvid (eds.). Doing Business With Germany. London.
Tan, K.Y. (1991). “Malaysian Economic and Industrial Outlook 1991/1992”. Forum: Economic and Business Journal of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers. Timmons, G. (1988). Education, industrialisation, and selection. London: Routledge. World Bank (1997). Malaysia: Enterprise Training, Technology, and Productivity. Washington D.C: The World Bank.
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Article #2
The Emerging Roles of Coaches in the Malaysian Dual Training System
(This paper was published in International Education Studies Journal, Vol. 4, No. 1; February 2011, www.ccsenet.org/ies)
Authors
Ahmad Othman, PhD, Universiti Malaysia Pahang
Nor Hazana Abdullah, PhD, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia
Mohamad Sulaiman, PhD, Department of Skills Development Malaysia
Alina Shamsuddin, PhD, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia 8
Abstract
This paper discusses the new task of industry personnel as coaches in the National Dual Training System (NDTS), a newly introduced training initiative for producing k-workers in Malaysia. The decision to introduce this initiative was made by the Malaysian Cabinet on the 19th May 2004 with the hope that it will resolve the issue of skilled workers being produced, but not meeting the needs of the industry. The initiative began in 2005 for four skill sets, i.e., manufacturing tools (tool and dies), automatic control process, automotive mechanics and plant operations. In this new system, the industry plays an important role to ensure 70 percent of the training is carried out at the workplace and the rest 30 percent of the training will be carried out at the training institution premises. After completion of the four semester program, apprentices are awarded the NDTS k-Worker Certificate. Since the industry personnel plays a greater role than before through the newly introduced system, the understanding of new tasks of industry personnel as coaches to the apprentices is explored. The analysis of literature shows that different levels of personnel, i.e., executive, supervisory and senior technician require different skill sets in carrying out the coaching tasks. Based on this requirement, therefore, the potential enhancement programs required to equip these personnel with necessary skills can be developed.
Keywords: Skills training, Training management, Trainer of training
INTRODUCTION
In its vision to become a developed nation by the year 2020 Malaysian leadership has stressed that the nation “should not be developed in the economic sense. It must be a nation that is fully developed along all dimensions: economically, politically, socially, spiritually, psychologically and culturally” (Malaysia, 1991a). Harbison and Myers (1964) postulated that the economic, social, cultural and political growth can be achieved as a result of human effort, and the initiative of developing human resource will unlock the door for modernization. Realizing the importance of developing human resources towards achieving the Malaysia’s Vision 2020, the Second Industrial Master Plan, 1996-2005 has focused on HRD as one of the critical elements that would underpin Malaysia’s strategic vision of attaining ‘developed’ status (Malaysia, 1991a). Accordingly, Harbison and Myers (1964) suggested that if one of the major goals is rapid economic growth, then programs of human resource development must be designed to provide the knowledge, the skills and the incentives required by a productive economy. Woodhall (1971) supported their views by arguing that a country’s economic prosperity depends not only on the supply of natural resources and the amount and utilization of physical capital, but on the education, training and productive skills of its workers.
In many countries, especially developing countries, the responsibility of developing human capital has rested heavily on the government. This is particularly true in the case of Malaysia where there is an increasing number of public training institutions in almost every five-year development plan (Othman and Morgan, 1998; Malaysia, 2001, 2006). This is obviously a major initiative to increase the output of skilled manpower to meet the needs of the economy. In this situation, the industry has to accept the quality and level of experience gained through the public delivery system. However, history has shown that industry cannot and should not rely solely on the Government initiatives, neither in the aspect of capital investment nor in the aspect of human investment since human resource development is a long-term initiative, as is the case in all major industrialized countries (Othman, 2009). Employer, being a major consumer of skilled workforce, therefore has to take a fair share of responsibility in the development of skilled workforce, particularly in specific and highly skilled areas (Othman, 2003, 2005). The skilled workforce developed through this program will gain competitive advantages. This applies to all levels of personnel hierarchy, ranging from managerial to the production levels. Hence, new methods and strategies in delivery must be developed, accepted and implemented efficiently (Mohamed and Othman, 2006).
Industrial training nowadays is cost- intensive, both capital and operational. Costs of programs beyond the pre-vocational level are high and are getting prohibitive for public agencies (Pillai, 1992). New thinking and directions are necessary to further define the role of public agencies and industries, especially in technology-intensive and heavy industries. It has also been recognized that the private sector and enterprises are best placed to identify the training needs for skill upgrading and retraining. They can also identify the technology being used in industry as well as acquire expertise in the usage of that technology directly from vendors. To encourage the private sector to play a more effective role, the followings are recommended by the Cabinet Committee on Training:
(i) increasing collaboration with the private sector; (ii) improving incentives for training; and (iii) establishing specialist training centers (Malaysia, 1991b).
The rest of the paper is organized as follows; Section 2 presents The German Dual System: A Model for Malaysia. Section 3 discusses The Malaysian Skills Training System Revisited. Section 4 discusses New Tasks for Industry Personnel as Coaches in the implementation of NDTS in Malaysia. Finally, the conclusions of our work are described in Section 5.
THE GERMAN DUAL SYSTEM: A MODEL FOR MALAYSIA
In Germany, the dual system training has been implemented long ago with very strong support by industries (Deissinger, 1997, 2001). The German dual system has its roots in the corporatist framework established by legal sanction in the late nineteenth centuries that not only remained virtually unchanged in its basic features up to the establishment of the Vocational Training Act in 1969, but was incorporated into the modern training system (Deissinger and Hellwig, 2005). As Schmidt and Alex (1997) explained, “the dual system is founded on close links between public and private training organizations, between statutory provision and provision governed by collective agreements, and between public training policy and private training investment.” They also listed significant characteristics that made the German’s Dual System being recognized and thus supported by German industries as follows: (i) participation of companies is voluntary, (ii) standards and content of training are agreed by employers and trade unions and then legally codified, (iii) cooperation between employers and trade unions at various levels supports and renews the system, (iv) independence of the system is preserved through corporate bodies (chambers), (v) the system is financed mainly by corporate training providers with supplementary funding coming from government, and (vi) the provision of further education includes both general and occupation-related theoretical study.
Schmidt and Alex (1997) also argued that the success of the German’s Dual System are mainly due to vocational qualifications earn high standing in Germany; skilled blue- and white-collar workers and SME craftsmen enjoy a high status in society; VET is a primary political concern; the Dual System is not questioned by any major political party as the most suitable system of VET likewise both employers and trade unions regard it as the stable basis of their VET policy relationship; large research and development institutes offer database and advice to employers, trade unions and the government, and they provide a platform for joint planning and for the improvement and adaptation of vocational training; when planning VET, the government acts on the consensus principle by building on the agreement of employers and trade unions and employers and trade unions provide on-going renewal of the training content and the examination syllabus.
In short, one of the traits that distinguish the German dual system of vocational education and training (VET) from most training systems in the world is the voluntary contribution of companies towards the system, in both operations and financial terms. Obviously in the craft sector, the importance of practical experience is strongly emphasized than the systematic approach underlying all modern training schemes. This means that training is workplace-led and it implies that the system actually works in accordance with skill requirements defined around the workplace (Deissinger, 2001). Such effort requires a reliable organizational framework and also major participation of firms beyond imparting the skills needed for a specific job. However, the importance of enterprise’s responsibility has not led to over-specialized training as the priority has always been towards broad-based knowledge and the acquisition of basic techniques. For this purpose, the administrative and organizational contribution of the industries or enterprises seems crucial and virtually indispensable. Although the apprenticeship itself is the responsibility of employers and trade unions, quality control is linked to public interest in preventing the qualification process from being unrestrictedly exposed to market forces.
THE MALAYSIAN SKILLS TRAINING SYSTEM REVISITED
The changes in technology globally, and particularly in the Malaysia’s industries, have created a dire need for skilled workforce as well as a comprehensive skills training system. Thus, on 19th May 2004, the Malaysian government has approved the implementation of the National Dual Training System (NDTS), a newly introduced training initiative for producing k-workers in the country. With this initiative, it is hoped that it will resolve the issue of skilled workers being produced but not meeting the needs of industry. The main purpose of the NDTS is to stimulate and assist industry in developing and improving apprenticeship system and other training programs designed to produce the skilled workers needed to compete in a global economy. The implementation of NDTS involves two “learning venues”: (i) the company providing on-the-job training (the actual apprenticeship) and (ii) off-the-job training where the apprentice receives theoretical instruction. Employers and labour groups as well as employer associations jointly sponsor the NDTS programmes. The initiative starts in 2005 for four skill sets: (i) manufacturing tools (tool and dies), (ii) automatic control process, (iii) automotive mechanics, and (iv) plant operations.
In this new system, the industry plays an important role to ensure 70 percent of the training is carried out at the workplace. The rest 30 percent of the training will be carried out at the training institution premises. Under this initiative, trainers at the workplace play a vital role to impart psychomotor skills to apprentices. In contrast, the trainers at the training institution will be dealing with theoretical classes and very little on practical works. The types of training program under the NDTS will be determined by the industries concerned in collaboration with the training institutes, whether it is to be day-released or block-released whichever is convenient to the industries. In the day-released program, the apprentices are trained at the industry for four to five days a week and the remaining one to two days at the training institutes. In the block-released program, apprentices undergo training for four to five months at the industries and one to two months at the training institutes. The training period is about two years with four semesters.
In the company the apprentice receives practical instructions at his or her workplace regarding the work process. The training follows mainly the principle of “learning by doing” with short instructions from the responsible coach or trainer. In small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) the instructions are given by the foreman or other technical personnel of the department, whilst in larger companies the training are normally handled by special training staff. The practical training allows the smooth transition from training to working life. The detailed course of training is specified in the appropriate training guides to ensure that training is conducted to a uniform standards set with the collaboration of the respective industries. However, the implementation of NDTS does not work without problems and generally the problems are similar among firms. One of the main problems faced by industry is the trainer and the problem related to trainer is the language used for teaching and learning (T&L). Many industries especially SMEs, their experienced foremen and supervisors are generally with secondary school level qualification. In-house training by supervisors or managers is often hampered by the lack of their teaching abilities coupled with communication problems. The new role for language competencies in transformed work situation is related to the decrease in manual operations on products or objects and the increase in the use of signs, codes and symbols in the workplace.
In the implementation of NDTS, trainer is the key player at both training places whether at workplaces or training institutions. At the training institutions, the trainer acts as instructor to impart technical theory such as the usage of machine and hand tools, and non-technical subjects such as mathematics, sciences, and safety. Also, the trainer has to coordinate and manage apprentices to ensure that all training activities meet the training institute requirements. At the workplace, technical personnel such as foreman, supervisors or executives of the enterprises that involve in the training activities are recognized as coaches and not trainers. The coach’s role is to train apprentices on the actual technical aspects of work processes. At the same time they need to carry out their core duties as supervisors or executives or senior technicians at the enterprises where they work. Can the industry personnel such as supervisors or executives or senior technicians be functioning effectively as coaches in implementing NDTS at the workplace environment? What are the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the coaches in the delivery of the training at workplace?
As coaches, the executives or supervisors or skill technicians need to equip themselves with the teaching skills, social skills, management skills as well as the latest technical skills required by the current technology. In this case, they must be prepared to carry out extra functions and duties as their employer plays an important role to ensure 70% of the training carried out at the workplace is successful. This paper will therefore investigate the significant tasks for coaches in order to carry out their responsibility under the NDTS program effectively.
NEW TASKS FOR INDUSTRY PERSONNEL AS COACHES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NDTS IN MALAYSIA
The implementation of NDTS in Malaysia involves industry personnel who are appointed as coaches and this may be successful if they are exposed and trained to acquire the techniques of instruction and teaching/learning social skills (Gibbons-Wood and Lange, 2000; Rahim and Khadijah, 2010). This new system requires three categories of personnel to carry out training program at the workplace, i.e., executives, supervisors and senior technicians or senior skilled workers. Sulaiman (2010), in his study, has identified a set of tasks that these various categories of personnel are expected to deal with in implementing NDTS, i.e., the executives will be dealing with the planning and management of training, the supervisors are required to monitor and supervise the training delivery, and the senior technicians are required to carry out training in the form of facilitating, demonstrating, counseling and assessing apprentices’ performance. In terms of technical capabilities and qualification, there are obviously differences between the three categories of personnel. For instance, on the aspect of qualification in term of process knowledge, the executives are high as compared with the others. Likewise, on the aspect of the experienced-based technological knowledge, the senior technicians are high as compared with the others. In terms of attitude, the executive level has high commitment on continuous learning compared with lower rank personnel. The potential challenges that are faced by the industry personnel in carrying out these new tasks can be seen in Table 1.
<<INSERT TABLE 1>>
In conclusion, in order for the industry personnel to be functioning as coaches, they have to be equipped with theoretical knowledge and experienced-based knowledge requirement. The potential programs needed by the industry personnel are as shown in Table 2.
<<INSERT TABLE 2>>
The new tasks faced by staff that involve in initial and continuing training can be predicted in the context of changing company’s skills requirements due to the acquisition of new technologies, orientation to customer needs as well as the improvement processes of business. There is a considerable increase on the demands made on staff training as a result of technological development as well as and the changing conditions and interests on the part of learners. The person responsible for the instruction is responsible for the entire process. The roles of the trainers are changing and they have to play other roles as well which include among others, as: (i) strategic planner, (ii) training manager, (iii) analyst to carry out training needs analysis, (iv) training program designer, (v) training material writer, (vi) training implementer, (vii) facilitator, (viii) counselor, (ix) multimedia expert, and (x) training evaluator.
The industry coaches and other skilled workers involved in the initial and continuing training play a key role in initiating and designing new forms of learning and realizing new learning concepts. The forms of learning described above, i.e., self-organized and lifelong learning, and the integration of experiential and deliberate learning are topical and important examples of these new tasks. The competent coaches must equip themselves with knowledge and skills in order for them to function effectively. The coaches must acquire and be trained in some specific skills and knowledge in order for them to be effective and competent, that are understanding on adult learning; skills in career and counseling; facilitation skills; skills on delegation and empowerment; skills on negotiation and interpersonal relation; skills in lecturing; and understanding on organization behavior.
Hence, the coach must be a professional and must have four main criteria that are vision, competence, work ethics or professionalism, and identity (Mamat, 2001). According to Gerds and Hoepfner (2003), the TVET trainers must be able to have such requirement as follows: (i) provide a narrow linkage between their own pre-service (initial) and in-service (further) teacher training, and to use modern ways of distance and e-learning; (ii) have command of the vocational (practical) skills and theoretical knowledge they have to train their students; (iii) establish and conduct strong relationships and networks between their schools and the local/regional business in order to offer vocational training on needed and employable qualifications; (iv) develop demand-driven contents and forms (courses, programs, modules) of TVET programs; and (v) recognize the large variety of student’s demands, interests and prerequisites of learning.
What are the requisite required by the coaches in carrying out of the new tasks?
The report of the project of Professionalization of VET Teachers for the Future (PROFF) has listed some of the skills and knowledge needed to be acquired which include: (i) new pedagogical skills in line with the learner-centered approach of modern pedagogical theory and on-the-job learning techniques; (ii) up-to-date vocational skills related to modern technologies and work practices; (iii) awareness of the needs of business and employers; (iv) skills for team working and networking; and (v) management, organization and communications skills (Cort, et al., 2004).
The National Project Team (NPT) of the program of the European Union has clarified that the teachers or trainers need to possess the confidence, skills and qualities required to create and manage learning in environments most appropriate to the needs of their learners. In particular, they will be: (i) leaders of learning and life-long learners, (ii) facilitators of learning teams, (iii) leaders of innovation in schools and society, (iv) flexible and adaptable, (v) innovative, enterprising and positively welcome change, (vi) responsive to the needs of students, colleagues and the community, (vii) cooperative with colleagues and students, and (viii) acquire a more holistic way of knowing.
Therefore the coaches or trainers are responsible for facilitating the on-going process, creating the environment that best helps the apprentices reach their defined goals. According to NPT, the coaches or trainers’ roles are to facilitate the process by being instructor, initiator, aspirator, partner, mediator, counselor, or coordinator. The coach at the workplace is the key personnel to turn to in the implementation of dual training system so that the apprentices understand the concept of dual training system; prepare the training structure; orientates the apprentices on the introduction to dual training system and responsibilities of apprentices and coaches; guides, mentors and evaluates apprentice’s performance throughout their training; executes training based on training standard; checks, endorses and verifies the log book entries; and prepares the final evaluation of the apprentice.
LIMITATION
Large companies often have developed good practice in training and have the resources to employ full-time, well qualified trainers as coaches. They operate their own training centres and develop their own training materials and methods. Small and medium-scaled enterprises (SME), however, do not have these luxuries. As pointed by Sulaiman (2010), they are facing lack of resources due to staff shortages, lack of knowledge and know-how when it comes to training, lack of young motivated trainers and lack of time for training. SMEs can only offer basic training if they cooperate with other companies and would largely benefit from inter-company cooperation in the area of training, training of trainers and exchange with large or multinational companies.
Also, enterprise boundaries are becoming blurred and the concept of the traditional pattern of training where the stress is on open training markets is challenged. Acceptance by industry towards participating in the scheme needs serious consideration. The changing work environment because of the implementation of NDTS leads to modifications in job content of industry personnel, skills requirements and the demand for new knowledge among those involved. The qualifications of coaches from rather different training backgrounds: the personnel assigned as coaches are recruited mostly from rank-in file and not as in the case of teachers of vocational training institution where they are recruited from among college graduates.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
The changes in technology combined with the demographic, occupational and workplace changes have had a significant impact on the nature of the workplace itself. While most will agree that the changing workplace requires ever-changing skills and knowledge, not everyone agrees on the best approach to meeting the challenge. The older notion of training where trainees be trained at a training center away from workplace, is still prevalent today. While training still has its place, it can no longer be viewed as just occurring in classes and workshops and, most will agree that it is insufficient especially in inculcating actual work experiences. A new and broader view of the learning process at work is needed. These changes have meant that the skill level of employees at all levels (managerial, supervisory and technical) must be continuously cultivated and developed in order to keep up with the demands of today’s business. This is particularly important in a situation where the employees wear two different hats, as regular employee and as coach under the NDTS program.
Besides the main responsibilities that the employees have to carry out (as regular employees), under the NDTS program those involved (as coaches) also have to have other capabilities such as: the pedagogical skills, technical skills (experienced-based), technical theoretical knowledge, communication skills, knowledge on curriculum development, management of training activities, training evaluation and assessment, ICT skills, facilitation skills, language competencies, and diagnostic competence.
There is no doubt that under the NDTS program, the learning process does not depend solely on the trainer or coach since learning is a social construct and learning occurs in groups of co-workers as they construct and reconstruct knowledge, skills, and abilities. Thus, working and learning go hand-in-hand as totally complementary activities. In fact, whether an activity is called “working” or not, it generates experiences – and experiences are the staple diets of learning. Working is learning and learning happens at and through working. Once this is understood, the next important step is to create a working environment that is conducive to learning.
In order to ensure that the NDTS in Malaysia will be successfully implemented, several recommendations are put forward for consideration. Firstly, there are hardly any statistical data are being generated on trainers, which could specify their socio-economic characteristics such as employment status, social background, educational level, skills qualifications, age or gender. The main reason why statistical data on trainers are not being generated is because trainers are not recognised as a distinct category, neither in terms of their function nor as an occupational group. Even full-time trainers may not be recognised as a particular employee category by legislation or the company. Lack of background information and data makes it extremely difficult to assess the situation, status and qualification of trainers and plan and predict future developments and needs in the area of training and trainers. Thus, more research and data generation on trainers should be promoted, encouraged and supported at the regional and national levels.
Secondly, due to current situation where the qualified NDTS coaches are scarce, it is advisable to make some improvement on the existing TVET-Teacher training programmes. In this regards we need to strengthen the collaboration and partnership between different institutions responsible for training of trainers. We should bring various stakeholders of training together and facilitate cooperation, partnership and networking between them to make vocational training programmes more effective and strengthen the trainers’ role, cooperation between vocational schools, enterprises and public administration in the implementation of training and the training of trainers and also foster stronger exchange between different stakeholders and research institutes.
Thirdly, the Centre for Instructor and Advanced Skill Training (CIAST) is offering pedagogical training course and advanced skills training for future and in-service instructors including the industry personnel such as technician and supervisors. In this regards, certain basic requirements to become a coach should be considered, such as the imposition of minimum qualification of at least the Malaysia Skills Certificate (MSC)/SKM Level 3. Also, the additional component should be added to the existing curriculum, such as the English language course and engineering theoretical subjects. Another suggestion is to hire or engage expert trainers from industries as part-time master trainers at the CIAST. This is due to the urgent need by the Centre where they do not have sufficient number of expert trainers especially in the area of rapid technological change. Industrial attachment or on-the-job training (OJT) program for instructors or trainers is also helpful. This programme will expose and provide the trainers with some new experience in the actual workplace environment.
References
Cort, et al. (2004). PROFF- Professionalisation of VET teachers for the future. CEDEFOP Panorama series; 104.Luxembourg.
Deissinger, T. and Hellwig, S. (2005). “Apprenticeships in Germany: modernizing the Dual System” Education + Training. Vol. 47, No. 4/5, 2005, pp 312-324.
Deissinger, T. (2001). “Vocational Training in Small Firms in Germany: the Contribution of the Craft Sector.” Education + Training. Vol. 43, No. 8/9, 2001, pp 426-436.
Deissinger, T. (1997). “The German dual system – a model for Europe?” Education + Training. Vol. 39, No. 8, 1997, pp 297-302.
Gerds, P. and Hoepfner, D. (2003). Cornerstones for the development of National TVET-Teacher- Qualification-Standards. Expert’s Report Term 1. Ethio-German technical and Vocational Education and Training Program. BOBB, Berlin and Institute Technology and Education, University of Bremen, Germany.
Gibbons-Wood, D. and Lange, T. (2000). “Developing core skills – lessons from Germany and Sweden”. Education + Training. Vol.42, No.1, 2000, pp.24-32
Harbison, F. and Myers, C.A. (1964). Education, manpower, and economic growth: Strategic of human resource development. New York: McGraw Hill.
Mamat, I. (2001). Effective Design and Successful Management and Training Eastview Publications Sdn Bhd Malaysia. (1991a). Malaysia: The Way Forward (Vision 2020). Kuala Lumpur: National Printing Department.
Malaysia. (1991b). Report of the Cabinet Committee on Training: Training for Industrial Development. Kuala Lumpur: Economic Planning Unit.
Malaysia. (2001). Eight Malaysia Plan 2001-2005. Putrajaya: Economic Planning Unit.
Malaysia. (2006). Ninth Malaysia Plan 2006-2010. Putrajaya: Economic Planning Unit.
Mohamed, Z.B. and Othman A.B. (2006). “Lifelong Learning and Technical/Vocational Education and Training”. Paper presented at the International Conference on Technical and Vocational Education and Training 2006 (ICTVET2006), organized by KUiTTHO in collaboration with UNESCO-UNEVOC in Johor Bahru on 22-23 August 2006.
Othman, A.B. and Morgan, W.J. (1998). “Employers and the State of Malaysia: Towards a Partnership in Human Resource Development?” Paper presented at the Malaysian Educational Research Association Inaugural Conference, 28-30 April 1998 in Penang, organized by Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Othman, A.B. (2003) . The Role of the National Vocational Training Council in the Management of Vocational Training in Malaysia. A Critical Evaluation. Batu Pahat: Pusat Penerbit KUiTTHO.
Othman, A.B. (2005). “The National Dual Training System: An Alternative Mode of Training for Producing K-Workers in Malaysia”. In Aminah Ahmad (eds.), Human Resource Development: Practices and Directions for a Developed Malaysia. University Putra Malaysia Press Serdang. pp.3-8.
Othman, A.B. (2009). The implementation of skills training in Malaysia between 1970’s and 1990’s. Kuantan: Universiti Malaysia Pahang Publisher.
Pillai, P. ed. (1992). Training for Skilled Occupations: Involvement and Role of Industry. Goethe-Institute Kuala Lumpur.
Rahim, M.S, and Khadijal, A. (2010). “Social skills and social values training for future k-workers”. Journal of European Industrial Training. Vol.34, No.3, 2010, pp.226-258.
Schmidt, H. and Alex, L. (1997). “The Dual System of Vocational Education and Training in Germany”. In Roderick Millar and Jonathan Reuvid (eds.). Doing Business With Germany. London
Sulaiman, M. (2010). “Competencies required by the industry coaches to perform new tasks in implementation of the National Dual Training System”. Unpublished PhD thesis, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia in collaboration with University of Bremen Germany.
Woodhall, M. (1971). “Forecasting demand for qualified manpower: Some problems and difficulties”. In Brian Holmes and David G. Scanlon (eds.). The World Yearbook of Education 1971/72: Higher Education in a changing world. London: Evans Brothers Limited, pp.216-226.
Table 1. Potential Tasks for Industry Personnel as Coaches
Table 2. Potential Programs for Industry Personnel as Coaches
Article #2
The Emerging Roles of Coaches in the Malaysian Dual Training System
(This paper was published in International Education Studies Journal, Vol. 4, No. 1; February 2011, www.ccsenet.org/ies)
Authors
Ahmad Othman, PhD, Universiti Malaysia Pahang
Nor Hazana Abdullah, PhD, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia
Mohamad Sulaiman, PhD, Department of Skills Development Malaysia
Alina Shamsuddin, PhD, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia 8
Abstract
This paper discusses the new task of industry personnel as coaches in the National Dual Training System (NDTS), a newly introduced training initiative for producing k-workers in Malaysia. The decision to introduce this initiative was made by the Malaysian Cabinet on the 19th May 2004 with the hope that it will resolve the issue of skilled workers being produced, but not meeting the needs of the industry. The initiative began in 2005 for four skill sets, i.e., manufacturing tools (tool and dies), automatic control process, automotive mechanics and plant operations. In this new system, the industry plays an important role to ensure 70 percent of the training is carried out at the workplace and the rest 30 percent of the training will be carried out at the training institution premises. After completion of the four semester program, apprentices are awarded the NDTS k-Worker Certificate. Since the industry personnel plays a greater role than before through the newly introduced system, the understanding of new tasks of industry personnel as coaches to the apprentices is explored. The analysis of literature shows that different levels of personnel, i.e., executive, supervisory and senior technician require different skill sets in carrying out the coaching tasks. Based on this requirement, therefore, the potential enhancement programs required to equip these personnel with necessary skills can be developed.
Keywords: Skills training, Training management, Trainer of training
INTRODUCTION
In its vision to become a developed nation by the year 2020 Malaysian leadership has stressed that the nation “should not be developed in the economic sense. It must be a nation that is fully developed along all dimensions: economically, politically, socially, spiritually, psychologically and culturally” (Malaysia, 1991a). Harbison and Myers (1964) postulated that the economic, social, cultural and political growth can be achieved as a result of human effort, and the initiative of developing human resource will unlock the door for modernization. Realizing the importance of developing human resources towards achieving the Malaysia’s Vision 2020, the Second Industrial Master Plan, 1996-2005 has focused on HRD as one of the critical elements that would underpin Malaysia’s strategic vision of attaining ‘developed’ status (Malaysia, 1991a). Accordingly, Harbison and Myers (1964) suggested that if one of the major goals is rapid economic growth, then programs of human resource development must be designed to provide the knowledge, the skills and the incentives required by a productive economy. Woodhall (1971) supported their views by arguing that a country’s economic prosperity depends not only on the supply of natural resources and the amount and utilization of physical capital, but on the education, training and productive skills of its workers.
In many countries, especially developing countries, the responsibility of developing human capital has rested heavily on the government. This is particularly true in the case of Malaysia where there is an increasing number of public training institutions in almost every five-year development plan (Othman and Morgan, 1998; Malaysia, 2001, 2006). This is obviously a major initiative to increase the output of skilled manpower to meet the needs of the economy. In this situation, the industry has to accept the quality and level of experience gained through the public delivery system. However, history has shown that industry cannot and should not rely solely on the Government initiatives, neither in the aspect of capital investment nor in the aspect of human investment since human resource development is a long-term initiative, as is the case in all major industrialized countries (Othman, 2009). Employer, being a major consumer of skilled workforce, therefore has to take a fair share of responsibility in the development of skilled workforce, particularly in specific and highly skilled areas (Othman, 2003, 2005). The skilled workforce developed through this program will gain competitive advantages. This applies to all levels of personnel hierarchy, ranging from managerial to the production levels. Hence, new methods and strategies in delivery must be developed, accepted and implemented efficiently (Mohamed and Othman, 2006).
Industrial training nowadays is cost- intensive, both capital and operational. Costs of programs beyond the pre-vocational level are high and are getting prohibitive for public agencies (Pillai, 1992). New thinking and directions are necessary to further define the role of public agencies and industries, especially in technology-intensive and heavy industries. It has also been recognized that the private sector and enterprises are best placed to identify the training needs for skill upgrading and retraining. They can also identify the technology being used in industry as well as acquire expertise in the usage of that technology directly from vendors. To encourage the private sector to play a more effective role, the followings are recommended by the Cabinet Committee on Training:
(i) increasing collaboration with the private sector; (ii) improving incentives for training; and (iii) establishing specialist training centers (Malaysia, 1991b).
The rest of the paper is organized as follows; Section 2 presents The German Dual System: A Model for Malaysia. Section 3 discusses The Malaysian Skills Training System Revisited. Section 4 discusses New Tasks for Industry Personnel as Coaches in the implementation of NDTS in Malaysia. Finally, the conclusions of our work are described in Section 5.
THE GERMAN DUAL SYSTEM: A MODEL FOR MALAYSIA
In Germany, the dual system training has been implemented long ago with very strong support by industries (Deissinger, 1997, 2001). The German dual system has its roots in the corporatist framework established by legal sanction in the late nineteenth centuries that not only remained virtually unchanged in its basic features up to the establishment of the Vocational Training Act in 1969, but was incorporated into the modern training system (Deissinger and Hellwig, 2005). As Schmidt and Alex (1997) explained, “the dual system is founded on close links between public and private training organizations, between statutory provision and provision governed by collective agreements, and between public training policy and private training investment.” They also listed significant characteristics that made the German’s Dual System being recognized and thus supported by German industries as follows: (i) participation of companies is voluntary, (ii) standards and content of training are agreed by employers and trade unions and then legally codified, (iii) cooperation between employers and trade unions at various levels supports and renews the system, (iv) independence of the system is preserved through corporate bodies (chambers), (v) the system is financed mainly by corporate training providers with supplementary funding coming from government, and (vi) the provision of further education includes both general and occupation-related theoretical study.
Schmidt and Alex (1997) also argued that the success of the German’s Dual System are mainly due to vocational qualifications earn high standing in Germany; skilled blue- and white-collar workers and SME craftsmen enjoy a high status in society; VET is a primary political concern; the Dual System is not questioned by any major political party as the most suitable system of VET likewise both employers and trade unions regard it as the stable basis of their VET policy relationship; large research and development institutes offer database and advice to employers, trade unions and the government, and they provide a platform for joint planning and for the improvement and adaptation of vocational training; when planning VET, the government acts on the consensus principle by building on the agreement of employers and trade unions and employers and trade unions provide on-going renewal of the training content and the examination syllabus.
In short, one of the traits that distinguish the German dual system of vocational education and training (VET) from most training systems in the world is the voluntary contribution of companies towards the system, in both operations and financial terms. Obviously in the craft sector, the importance of practical experience is strongly emphasized than the systematic approach underlying all modern training schemes. This means that training is workplace-led and it implies that the system actually works in accordance with skill requirements defined around the workplace (Deissinger, 2001). Such effort requires a reliable organizational framework and also major participation of firms beyond imparting the skills needed for a specific job. However, the importance of enterprise’s responsibility has not led to over-specialized training as the priority has always been towards broad-based knowledge and the acquisition of basic techniques. For this purpose, the administrative and organizational contribution of the industries or enterprises seems crucial and virtually indispensable. Although the apprenticeship itself is the responsibility of employers and trade unions, quality control is linked to public interest in preventing the qualification process from being unrestrictedly exposed to market forces.
THE MALAYSIAN SKILLS TRAINING SYSTEM REVISITED
The changes in technology globally, and particularly in the Malaysia’s industries, have created a dire need for skilled workforce as well as a comprehensive skills training system. Thus, on 19th May 2004, the Malaysian government has approved the implementation of the National Dual Training System (NDTS), a newly introduced training initiative for producing k-workers in the country. With this initiative, it is hoped that it will resolve the issue of skilled workers being produced but not meeting the needs of industry. The main purpose of the NDTS is to stimulate and assist industry in developing and improving apprenticeship system and other training programs designed to produce the skilled workers needed to compete in a global economy. The implementation of NDTS involves two “learning venues”: (i) the company providing on-the-job training (the actual apprenticeship) and (ii) off-the-job training where the apprentice receives theoretical instruction. Employers and labour groups as well as employer associations jointly sponsor the NDTS programmes. The initiative starts in 2005 for four skill sets: (i) manufacturing tools (tool and dies), (ii) automatic control process, (iii) automotive mechanics, and (iv) plant operations.
In this new system, the industry plays an important role to ensure 70 percent of the training is carried out at the workplace. The rest 30 percent of the training will be carried out at the training institution premises. Under this initiative, trainers at the workplace play a vital role to impart psychomotor skills to apprentices. In contrast, the trainers at the training institution will be dealing with theoretical classes and very little on practical works. The types of training program under the NDTS will be determined by the industries concerned in collaboration with the training institutes, whether it is to be day-released or block-released whichever is convenient to the industries. In the day-released program, the apprentices are trained at the industry for four to five days a week and the remaining one to two days at the training institutes. In the block-released program, apprentices undergo training for four to five months at the industries and one to two months at the training institutes. The training period is about two years with four semesters.
In the company the apprentice receives practical instructions at his or her workplace regarding the work process. The training follows mainly the principle of “learning by doing” with short instructions from the responsible coach or trainer. In small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) the instructions are given by the foreman or other technical personnel of the department, whilst in larger companies the training are normally handled by special training staff. The practical training allows the smooth transition from training to working life. The detailed course of training is specified in the appropriate training guides to ensure that training is conducted to a uniform standards set with the collaboration of the respective industries. However, the implementation of NDTS does not work without problems and generally the problems are similar among firms. One of the main problems faced by industry is the trainer and the problem related to trainer is the language used for teaching and learning (T&L). Many industries especially SMEs, their experienced foremen and supervisors are generally with secondary school level qualification. In-house training by supervisors or managers is often hampered by the lack of their teaching abilities coupled with communication problems. The new role for language competencies in transformed work situation is related to the decrease in manual operations on products or objects and the increase in the use of signs, codes and symbols in the workplace.
In the implementation of NDTS, trainer is the key player at both training places whether at workplaces or training institutions. At the training institutions, the trainer acts as instructor to impart technical theory such as the usage of machine and hand tools, and non-technical subjects such as mathematics, sciences, and safety. Also, the trainer has to coordinate and manage apprentices to ensure that all training activities meet the training institute requirements. At the workplace, technical personnel such as foreman, supervisors or executives of the enterprises that involve in the training activities are recognized as coaches and not trainers. The coach’s role is to train apprentices on the actual technical aspects of work processes. At the same time they need to carry out their core duties as supervisors or executives or senior technicians at the enterprises where they work. Can the industry personnel such as supervisors or executives or senior technicians be functioning effectively as coaches in implementing NDTS at the workplace environment? What are the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the coaches in the delivery of the training at workplace?
As coaches, the executives or supervisors or skill technicians need to equip themselves with the teaching skills, social skills, management skills as well as the latest technical skills required by the current technology. In this case, they must be prepared to carry out extra functions and duties as their employer plays an important role to ensure 70% of the training carried out at the workplace is successful. This paper will therefore investigate the significant tasks for coaches in order to carry out their responsibility under the NDTS program effectively.
NEW TASKS FOR INDUSTRY PERSONNEL AS COACHES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NDTS IN MALAYSIA
The implementation of NDTS in Malaysia involves industry personnel who are appointed as coaches and this may be successful if they are exposed and trained to acquire the techniques of instruction and teaching/learning social skills (Gibbons-Wood and Lange, 2000; Rahim and Khadijah, 2010). This new system requires three categories of personnel to carry out training program at the workplace, i.e., executives, supervisors and senior technicians or senior skilled workers. Sulaiman (2010), in his study, has identified a set of tasks that these various categories of personnel are expected to deal with in implementing NDTS, i.e., the executives will be dealing with the planning and management of training, the supervisors are required to monitor and supervise the training delivery, and the senior technicians are required to carry out training in the form of facilitating, demonstrating, counseling and assessing apprentices’ performance. In terms of technical capabilities and qualification, there are obviously differences between the three categories of personnel. For instance, on the aspect of qualification in term of process knowledge, the executives are high as compared with the others. Likewise, on the aspect of the experienced-based technological knowledge, the senior technicians are high as compared with the others. In terms of attitude, the executive level has high commitment on continuous learning compared with lower rank personnel. The potential challenges that are faced by the industry personnel in carrying out these new tasks can be seen in Table 1.
<<INSERT TABLE 1>>
In conclusion, in order for the industry personnel to be functioning as coaches, they have to be equipped with theoretical knowledge and experienced-based knowledge requirement. The potential programs needed by the industry personnel are as shown in Table 2.
<<INSERT TABLE 2>>
The new tasks faced by staff that involve in initial and continuing training can be predicted in the context of changing company’s skills requirements due to the acquisition of new technologies, orientation to customer needs as well as the improvement processes of business. There is a considerable increase on the demands made on staff training as a result of technological development as well as and the changing conditions and interests on the part of learners. The person responsible for the instruction is responsible for the entire process. The roles of the trainers are changing and they have to play other roles as well which include among others, as: (i) strategic planner, (ii) training manager, (iii) analyst to carry out training needs analysis, (iv) training program designer, (v) training material writer, (vi) training implementer, (vii) facilitator, (viii) counselor, (ix) multimedia expert, and (x) training evaluator.
The industry coaches and other skilled workers involved in the initial and continuing training play a key role in initiating and designing new forms of learning and realizing new learning concepts. The forms of learning described above, i.e., self-organized and lifelong learning, and the integration of experiential and deliberate learning are topical and important examples of these new tasks. The competent coaches must equip themselves with knowledge and skills in order for them to function effectively. The coaches must acquire and be trained in some specific skills and knowledge in order for them to be effective and competent, that are understanding on adult learning; skills in career and counseling; facilitation skills; skills on delegation and empowerment; skills on negotiation and interpersonal relation; skills in lecturing; and understanding on organization behavior.
Hence, the coach must be a professional and must have four main criteria that are vision, competence, work ethics or professionalism, and identity (Mamat, 2001). According to Gerds and Hoepfner (2003), the TVET trainers must be able to have such requirement as follows: (i) provide a narrow linkage between their own pre-service (initial) and in-service (further) teacher training, and to use modern ways of distance and e-learning; (ii) have command of the vocational (practical) skills and theoretical knowledge they have to train their students; (iii) establish and conduct strong relationships and networks between their schools and the local/regional business in order to offer vocational training on needed and employable qualifications; (iv) develop demand-driven contents and forms (courses, programs, modules) of TVET programs; and (v) recognize the large variety of student’s demands, interests and prerequisites of learning.
What are the requisite required by the coaches in carrying out of the new tasks?
The report of the project of Professionalization of VET Teachers for the Future (PROFF) has listed some of the skills and knowledge needed to be acquired which include: (i) new pedagogical skills in line with the learner-centered approach of modern pedagogical theory and on-the-job learning techniques; (ii) up-to-date vocational skills related to modern technologies and work practices; (iii) awareness of the needs of business and employers; (iv) skills for team working and networking; and (v) management, organization and communications skills (Cort, et al., 2004).
The National Project Team (NPT) of the program of the European Union has clarified that the teachers or trainers need to possess the confidence, skills and qualities required to create and manage learning in environments most appropriate to the needs of their learners. In particular, they will be: (i) leaders of learning and life-long learners, (ii) facilitators of learning teams, (iii) leaders of innovation in schools and society, (iv) flexible and adaptable, (v) innovative, enterprising and positively welcome change, (vi) responsive to the needs of students, colleagues and the community, (vii) cooperative with colleagues and students, and (viii) acquire a more holistic way of knowing.
Therefore the coaches or trainers are responsible for facilitating the on-going process, creating the environment that best helps the apprentices reach their defined goals. According to NPT, the coaches or trainers’ roles are to facilitate the process by being instructor, initiator, aspirator, partner, mediator, counselor, or coordinator. The coach at the workplace is the key personnel to turn to in the implementation of dual training system so that the apprentices understand the concept of dual training system; prepare the training structure; orientates the apprentices on the introduction to dual training system and responsibilities of apprentices and coaches; guides, mentors and evaluates apprentice’s performance throughout their training; executes training based on training standard; checks, endorses and verifies the log book entries; and prepares the final evaluation of the apprentice.
LIMITATION
Large companies often have developed good practice in training and have the resources to employ full-time, well qualified trainers as coaches. They operate their own training centres and develop their own training materials and methods. Small and medium-scaled enterprises (SME), however, do not have these luxuries. As pointed by Sulaiman (2010), they are facing lack of resources due to staff shortages, lack of knowledge and know-how when it comes to training, lack of young motivated trainers and lack of time for training. SMEs can only offer basic training if they cooperate with other companies and would largely benefit from inter-company cooperation in the area of training, training of trainers and exchange with large or multinational companies.
Also, enterprise boundaries are becoming blurred and the concept of the traditional pattern of training where the stress is on open training markets is challenged. Acceptance by industry towards participating in the scheme needs serious consideration. The changing work environment because of the implementation of NDTS leads to modifications in job content of industry personnel, skills requirements and the demand for new knowledge among those involved. The qualifications of coaches from rather different training backgrounds: the personnel assigned as coaches are recruited mostly from rank-in file and not as in the case of teachers of vocational training institution where they are recruited from among college graduates.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
The changes in technology combined with the demographic, occupational and workplace changes have had a significant impact on the nature of the workplace itself. While most will agree that the changing workplace requires ever-changing skills and knowledge, not everyone agrees on the best approach to meeting the challenge. The older notion of training where trainees be trained at a training center away from workplace, is still prevalent today. While training still has its place, it can no longer be viewed as just occurring in classes and workshops and, most will agree that it is insufficient especially in inculcating actual work experiences. A new and broader view of the learning process at work is needed. These changes have meant that the skill level of employees at all levels (managerial, supervisory and technical) must be continuously cultivated and developed in order to keep up with the demands of today’s business. This is particularly important in a situation where the employees wear two different hats, as regular employee and as coach under the NDTS program.
Besides the main responsibilities that the employees have to carry out (as regular employees), under the NDTS program those involved (as coaches) also have to have other capabilities such as: the pedagogical skills, technical skills (experienced-based), technical theoretical knowledge, communication skills, knowledge on curriculum development, management of training activities, training evaluation and assessment, ICT skills, facilitation skills, language competencies, and diagnostic competence.
There is no doubt that under the NDTS program, the learning process does not depend solely on the trainer or coach since learning is a social construct and learning occurs in groups of co-workers as they construct and reconstruct knowledge, skills, and abilities. Thus, working and learning go hand-in-hand as totally complementary activities. In fact, whether an activity is called “working” or not, it generates experiences – and experiences are the staple diets of learning. Working is learning and learning happens at and through working. Once this is understood, the next important step is to create a working environment that is conducive to learning.
In order to ensure that the NDTS in Malaysia will be successfully implemented, several recommendations are put forward for consideration. Firstly, there are hardly any statistical data are being generated on trainers, which could specify their socio-economic characteristics such as employment status, social background, educational level, skills qualifications, age or gender. The main reason why statistical data on trainers are not being generated is because trainers are not recognised as a distinct category, neither in terms of their function nor as an occupational group. Even full-time trainers may not be recognised as a particular employee category by legislation or the company. Lack of background information and data makes it extremely difficult to assess the situation, status and qualification of trainers and plan and predict future developments and needs in the area of training and trainers. Thus, more research and data generation on trainers should be promoted, encouraged and supported at the regional and national levels.
Secondly, due to current situation where the qualified NDTS coaches are scarce, it is advisable to make some improvement on the existing TVET-Teacher training programmes. In this regards we need to strengthen the collaboration and partnership between different institutions responsible for training of trainers. We should bring various stakeholders of training together and facilitate cooperation, partnership and networking between them to make vocational training programmes more effective and strengthen the trainers’ role, cooperation between vocational schools, enterprises and public administration in the implementation of training and the training of trainers and also foster stronger exchange between different stakeholders and research institutes.
Thirdly, the Centre for Instructor and Advanced Skill Training (CIAST) is offering pedagogical training course and advanced skills training for future and in-service instructors including the industry personnel such as technician and supervisors. In this regards, certain basic requirements to become a coach should be considered, such as the imposition of minimum qualification of at least the Malaysia Skills Certificate (MSC)/SKM Level 3. Also, the additional component should be added to the existing curriculum, such as the English language course and engineering theoretical subjects. Another suggestion is to hire or engage expert trainers from industries as part-time master trainers at the CIAST. This is due to the urgent need by the Centre where they do not have sufficient number of expert trainers especially in the area of rapid technological change. Industrial attachment or on-the-job training (OJT) program for instructors or trainers is also helpful. This programme will expose and provide the trainers with some new experience in the actual workplace environment.
References
Cort, et al. (2004). PROFF- Professionalisation of VET teachers for the future. CEDEFOP Panorama series; 104.Luxembourg.
Deissinger, T. and Hellwig, S. (2005). “Apprenticeships in Germany: modernizing the Dual System” Education + Training. Vol. 47, No. 4/5, 2005, pp 312-324.
Deissinger, T. (2001). “Vocational Training in Small Firms in Germany: the Contribution of the Craft Sector.” Education + Training. Vol. 43, No. 8/9, 2001, pp 426-436.
Deissinger, T. (1997). “The German dual system – a model for Europe?” Education + Training. Vol. 39, No. 8, 1997, pp 297-302.
Gerds, P. and Hoepfner, D. (2003). Cornerstones for the development of National TVET-Teacher- Qualification-Standards. Expert’s Report Term 1. Ethio-German technical and Vocational Education and Training Program. BOBB, Berlin and Institute Technology and Education, University of Bremen, Germany.
Gibbons-Wood, D. and Lange, T. (2000). “Developing core skills – lessons from Germany and Sweden”. Education + Training. Vol.42, No.1, 2000, pp.24-32
Harbison, F. and Myers, C.A. (1964). Education, manpower, and economic growth: Strategic of human resource development. New York: McGraw Hill.
Mamat, I. (2001). Effective Design and Successful Management and Training Eastview Publications Sdn Bhd Malaysia. (1991a). Malaysia: The Way Forward (Vision 2020). Kuala Lumpur: National Printing Department.
Malaysia. (1991b). Report of the Cabinet Committee on Training: Training for Industrial Development. Kuala Lumpur: Economic Planning Unit.
Malaysia. (2001). Eight Malaysia Plan 2001-2005. Putrajaya: Economic Planning Unit.
Malaysia. (2006). Ninth Malaysia Plan 2006-2010. Putrajaya: Economic Planning Unit.
Mohamed, Z.B. and Othman A.B. (2006). “Lifelong Learning and Technical/Vocational Education and Training”. Paper presented at the International Conference on Technical and Vocational Education and Training 2006 (ICTVET2006), organized by KUiTTHO in collaboration with UNESCO-UNEVOC in Johor Bahru on 22-23 August 2006.
Othman, A.B. and Morgan, W.J. (1998). “Employers and the State of Malaysia: Towards a Partnership in Human Resource Development?” Paper presented at the Malaysian Educational Research Association Inaugural Conference, 28-30 April 1998 in Penang, organized by Universiti Sains Malaysia.
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Table 1. Potential Tasks for Industry Personnel as Coaches
Table 2. Potential Programs for Industry Personnel as Coaches
