The Impacts of Higher Learning Institution on Local Industry Developments: Some Insights of Field Research in Melaka, Malaysia

Abstract

This paper seeks to identify and examine the influences of Universiti Teknologi MARA, Melaka state campus (UiTM Melaka) to the local industry development. This is based on the premise that higher learning institutions are often expected to contribute positively to the local industry where they settled in. A simple random sampling was employed, and 50 respondents participated by answering questionnaires which were prepared as a data collection method. The goal is to discover the impacts of UiTM Melaka on the local industry development, mainly in the aspects of market opportunity, consultancy, human resource, and training. Descriptive statistics and frequency analysis were utilised in the study and the results reveal that the presence of UiTM Melaka does offer significant influences on the local industry development in the stated aspects. UiTM Melaka has been found to impact mostly small local industries. Market opportunity, consultation, followed by training, and lastly human resources are four important aspects which have been impacted by the existence of UiTM Melaka. These findings provide substantial repercussions to university management and policymakers to assess existing strategies to enhance the function of universities as institutes which offer all-encompassing and comprehensive relationship with the local industry or business.