Upskilling and Reskilling the Workforce via Industry Driven Technical and Vocational Education and Training: Strategies to Initiate Industry/Institution Partnership in Malaysia

Abstract

The advent of Industrial Revolutions that swept the region has not spared the Malaysian business landscape.  This has compelled industries to produce highly skilled workforce (Yizit and Yezim Denis, 2018) to promote knowledge-based skills in various sectors in Malaysia. Anticipating this change, the Malaysian Government initiated Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) program to address the issue during the early 90’s. However, the current highly pedagogical supply driven TVET system has not addressed the need to effectively upskill and reskill workforce talents to achieve maximum productivity. Hence, this study, which is grounded on empowerment theory, aims to develop mechanisms to skew the path towards industry-driven TVET by adopting heutagogical approaches that promotes lifelong and independent adult learning (Blaschke, 2012). The study will be executed using sequential exploratory design (mixed method) beginning with qualitative followed by a quantitative study by collecting samples via stratified random and proportional sampling technique whereby a framework will be developed to enable Government policymakers an impetus to formulate relevant strategies that forges the collaboration between the industry and academia.