Improvement Strategies for Vocational Education and Training for Technically Oriented Training in Malaysia

On the basis of the DACUM approach a task analysis in various occupations has been carried out in Malaysia and National Occupational Skill Standards (NOSS) have been established in a 5-level-system. DACUM employs a moderate approach of compiling and arranging the on-site experience of workers in particular occupations for the composition of a task-analysis sheet which is specific for a particular occupation. This approach ensures that the current experience at the workplace is reflected in the task analysis.

However, in view of Malaysia's state of technological development it will be important to analyse not only the current situation at the workplace but also the most recent trends in the development of qualification requirements in the country's key sectors of employment and to elaborate on the consequences which these developments should have for the design of training programmes. The DACUM approach cannot provide insights regarding this issue. Therefore, an explanatory study should be carried out in involving the analysis of recent trends at the interface of the key sectors of employment and training. This study is expected to provide guidance regarding an advanced orientation for structuring the qualifications in training the future workforce of Malaysia.

Target group

Employees in the production sector.

Focus of research

In particular the study will be targeted at the needs of the German Malaysia Institute (GMI) for further development and improvement of its training programmes. As such quality-oriented sector research is capable of iden-tifying necessary innovations regarding

• the demand of human resources on a high quality level for different sectors of the industry and
• ways to improve the needs orientation of GMI graduates in the long term.

It is the objective of the study to design "qualification profiles" required by the different sectors of employment. This will mainly be carried out through a survey to identify and explain the development of needs/demands of the future employers of GMI graduates.

Innovation

The results of the survey should be used for recommendations regarding future perspectives of human resources development. An important aspect of this quality-oriented method is the possibility to acquire a detailed understanding of the technologies presently applied in industry and in other sectors of the economy. This analysis establishes the understanding of development processes and the ability to transfer the results of case studies into the context of the development of programmes at GMI. These are the prerequisites for future recommendations, scenarios and more detailed planning.

Transnationality

Cooperation of biat, GTZ (German Agency for Technical Cooperation), German-Malaysia-Institute (GMI)

• Study on the development of the manufacturing sector as well as required human resources.
• Study on appropriate teacher training.

Publications

Spöttl, Georg: Work, Technology and Training in the Manufacturing Sector of Malaysia's Industry. biat/GTZ: Flensburg 2000