A critical examination of forging ‘industry-driven’ partnerships in Malaysian TVET institutions

Abstract

Espousing the sequential exploratory design, this study aims to propose industry-driven TVET (Technical Education Vocational and Training) partnership strategies between the local industries and TVET institutions (Higher Education Institutions) in Malaysia. According to The Star (2023), the Malaysian TVET enrolment rate was at 6.1% compared to Singapore (23.8%), Indonesia (12.8) and South Korea (14.2%) and cannot be perceived as a convincing rate. The dip in student enrolment rates, archaic teaching and learning pedagogical approaches, and hesitance from the industrial sector to participate in TVET partnerships pose impediments to the growth of the Malaysian TVET program. Via these partnership strategies, it is anticipated that TVET students will be able to hone their capabilities to respond to the skills requirements required by the industry to boost productivity and profitability. Anchored on the Triple Helix Model of Innovation, the study began inductively to explore the viewpoints of seventeen respondents using the semi-structured interview technique to discover emerging TVET partnership strategies applying the reflexive thematic analysis approach. Consequently, five themes, (1) curriculum design and delivery collaboration, (2) mentor-mentee relationship, (3) research and development collaboration, (4) infrastructural collaboration and (5) joint promotional activities were identified. These five themes and self-determined pedagogical approach were then quantitatively validated and generalized using structured questionnaires distributed to medium and large industries in Malaysia. The collected data was statistically assessed using the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique to evaluate the path significance and the moderating effect of self-determined learning (heutagogy). All direct paths were found to be significant. However, heutagogy was found to significantly moderate the relationship between mentor-mentee relationship and the successful fulfilment of industry skills requirements. In theory, this research highlights the pertinent role of the Triple Helix Model in proportioning the function of the industries, institutes and the government, while also accentuating the viability of heutagogy in the Malaysian context. In practice, the study provides an impetus to the government to vigorously implement an ‘industry-driven TVET’ strategy to successfully achieve the Malaysian TVET agenda.