Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) for Competency Set of Polytechnic Graduates towards Future Industrial Revolution
Abstract
The Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) becomes a recent phenomenon that embracing revolution, transformation, and advancement of the world economy. The consequences of the revolution have led to several transformations in the application of physical-cyber systems to substitute human labour in the industrial sector. The Industrial Revolution (4.0) is expected to bring new challenges to all sectors of the industry, including manufacturing, services and engineering that require a change to be implemented in tandem with the transformation of computer technology and automation to remain competitive and minimize operational costs. The necessity for knowledgeable, profoundly skilled, and competent workers should be noted as it is imperative for the country to address IR4.0 transformation and to translate it into the national education ecosystem. This research intended to explore knowledge and technical competencies of Malaysian polytechnic graduates in anticipating the recent transformation. The instrument employed is the result of a set of competencies derived from expert interviews. Items for the questionnaire instrument were developed based on 41 competency elements extracted from the interviews. Survey was conducted among 111 graduates who are currently working in local industries. Findings of the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) revealed that five-component constructs were formed from the list of elements. The competency components of the set are related to Domain, Methodological, Entrepreneur, Smart Digital Technology, and Advanced Manufacturing aspects of competencies. The implication of this study can be implies to the current curriculum of the Mechanical Engineering programs to be revised and include the competency elements suggested in this study in order to meet expectations of the local industries.
Keywords: Competency Set, Technical Skills, TVET, Industrial Revolution 4.0, Mechanical Engineering Graduates
