Lifelong learning programmes – the choice of the community
Universiti Malaysia Pahang’s (UMP) lifelong learning programmes (PSH) should be given emphasis to help meet the demand for skilled human capital in this fast-moving world.
UMP Advanced chief executive officer Dr. Mohamad Rozi Hassan said PSH could meet individual needs, improve employment potential and create proactive citizens.
He described it as an important government agenda to produce quality and competitive human capital through the National Level Lifelong Learning Masterplan 2011-2020 and the Malaysia Education Development Plan (Higher Education) 2015-2025.
He said, the university, through UMP Advanced is committed to strengthen the supply of PSH. It was also working in collaboration with the Armed Forces Ex-Servicemen Affairs Corporation (PERHEBAT) to further expand the Veterans Socioeconomic Development Programme (PPSEV) to more military veterans and make UMP its satellite campus.
Other target groups for PSH are school leavers, working adults, housewives and senior citizens who want to contribute to the country, improve themselves and diversify their skills.
“Diversifying the teaching and learning process approach can attract industry players to join the PSH programme as well as widen access to education and enable learning to be tailored according to the needs of the student,” he said here today.
Mohamad Rozi said UMP Advanced have also started to develop an online learning system for professionals or executive programmes to improve access to quality education, providing efficient course delivery, building the PSH education brand and expanding the programmes to the international market.
He said UMP Advanced also offers several modes of programmes namely distance education, e-learning, part- time learning, modular learning and workplace learning.
In addition, UMP Advanced is in the midst of empowering PSH to offer part-time or executives programmes for employees in the industry.
This effort is based on the “Triple Track Approach “strategy by UMP Advanced Education which includes the implementation of professional or executive programmes, mainstream programmes and socioeconomic development programmes.
A professional or executive programme is a programme that targets those in the industry where classes are conducted on weekends and run on a modular basis. The programme is specially tailored to cater for industry requirements based on several high demand sectors such as oil and gas, manufacturing, plantation, logistics and electrical.
For the mainstream programme, he said, it was being offered at the Bachelor’s level which is held on weekends at the UMP Campus and IKTBN in Sepang.
The flexibility allows certain target groups the opportunity to further their education at a higher level and manage their time to suit their career.
He said employees working in the industrial sector should take the opportunity for lifelong learning in UMP.