Development of the Malaysian Skills Certification for TVET Lecturers

Abstract

This paper describes the professional development programme(PDP) framework developed for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) lecturers under the Malaysian Skills Certification (Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia - SKM). These lecturers play an important role in the practice and application oriented (PAO) teaching in delivering engineering technology programme. The success of the academic programme relies on competent lecturers who have the knowledge, competencies and skills to conducteffective teaching and learning. Apart from teaching, TVET lecturers are expected to be competent in performing research, consultancy services and community engagement. The framework was developed using DESCUM (Develop A Standard Curriculum) method and facilitated by the Department of Skills Development (Jabatan Pembangunan Kemahiran - JPK)and published as a National Occupational Skill Standard (NOSS). The NOSS Development Committee members were lecturers of the Malaysian Technical Universities (MTUs), Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Akademi Sains Malaysia as well as from the Polytechnics. The competency units identified to be critical and important for a TVET lecturer are described in this paper. It is hoped that the professional development programme(PDP) framework for TVET lecturers will be a platform to transformTVET quality and maximize its potential to improve the national higher education and economic landscape in the long run.