Ensure vocational, technical education stays relevant in digital age

THE Association for Community and Dialogue (ACID) appreciates the vision and efforts by Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran to improve Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) by engaging the teachers.

In line with this vision, there was a forum on TVET on April 6, in Ipoh, which saw a dialogue between the minister, ministry officials responsible for developing TVET and teachers representing the National Union of Teaching Profession.

It focused on the importance of TVET in the education system. What was significant was the critical role that teachers could play to inculcate an interest in technical studies.

There are three aspects that need to be emphasised:

ONE, in the current education system, there is mismatch of skills that has been one of the causes of youth unemployment.

The exposure of academically inclined teachers to TVET and its eco-system could make them effective teachers as they would impart contemporary knowledge of opportunities to their students. TWO, with the advent of digital technology there is a blurring between education and work.

According to the McKinsey Global Institute, billions of individuals are using global digital platforms to learn, find work, showcase their talent and build personal networks.

What was once confined to advanced cities and companies is now accessible to citizens.

So, teachers’ interaction is not confined to schools and classrooms, as they can now collaborate with industry players in the market and add value to the subjects they teach.

THREE, our education system could be reformed through cultural encounters among stakeholders.

This could be done through digital platforms that go beyond the physical to explore new possibilities to reform our overall education system to meet the needs of the employment market.

The dialogue was one such “culture of encounter” that could spur more engagement with stakeholders in the current digital age.