Opportunities in light of TN50
> Strategic partnership between Smart Trends International and NCFE, aimed to boost employability
A SMalaysia progresses towards the National Transformation 2050 (TN50) in its mission to become a high income nation, an area which demonstrates great potential in getting us there is said to be Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
To develop the programme, the country needs reputable, formidable and renowned partners of which recently, a strategic partnership was formed between Smart Trends International Sdn Bhd and the Northern Council for Further Education (NCFE), UK.
This tie-up will see NCFE qualifications made available in Malaysia through Smart Trends International Sdn Bhd, a leading training, recruitment and HR consultancy offering globally recognised, certified programmes with accredited partners.
More than 500 NCFE qualifications ranging from hospitality, retail, engineering and construction will be offered.
“Malaysia is in need of many technical skills especially in the fields of oil and gas, construction and retail. With NCFE, we will be re-skilling and up-skilling the people to bridge the gap among those who aren’t able to meet the industry requirements,” said Smart Trends International Sdn Bhd group chairman and CEO Datuk Dr Emmanuel Benson.
“By acquiring an NCFE qualification which boasts international recognition and standards, that answers the question of bridging the gap by equipping people with the required skills to get them employed,” he added.
Apart from delivering the wide range of NCFE qualifications, the partnership will allow students to customise qualifications to suit local needs.
“We offer two types of services. One is what we call Regulated Qualifications which sits within the framework of the UK government and are recognised for their standards. We also accredit different programmes, which gives us the opportunity to look at bespoke programmes; programmes tailored to suit the needs of different regions in the world,” said NCFE director of International Development Tim Dawkins.
“This is the start of our relationship and we will be looking at which qualifications are suitable for the Malaysian market. For example, generic qualifications in hospitality, transport and engineering can be adapted and evolved to include different cultural elements and geographic considerations to meet Malaysia’s needs,” Dawkins added.
Around the world, the topic of online learning has been a constant discussion and it will be the approach used in this partnership where students can do their reading and learning through their mobile devices. However, in technical and vocational training, the face-to-face element is as equally important and through “blended learning”, students receive quality interaction, making the classroom experience more valuable.
“Malaysia was in our sights for some time and about a year and a half ago, work with HRDF was the first project that brought us to Malaysia. We know that Malaysia is a receptive territory for us with its fast growing and modern economy. Malaysia is also open to digital practices and English as the language of business is widely used. We felt there was a good opportunity.
“Our plan now is to work with key partners to develop business opportunities, and that will only be good and robust if we maintain standards and deliver quality training products. That is why we are very keen to do this together and work closely with employers to meet industry needs and bridge gaps that exist in the workforce,” Dawkins disclosed.
“It is a great milestone for us. We have got the best certification and awarding body from the UK; one of the largest and most established, which will allow us to venture into different countries and industries. We aren’t just looking into Malaysia but other parts of Asia such as Vietnam and Sri Lanka, which is already in the pipeline,” Benson said.