COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF MALAYSIA’S LIFELONG LEARNING POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES�

The First Core Group Member Meeting

10^th March 2022

• The Skills for Prosperity Southeast Asia Programme - Malaysia (SfP Malaysia), funded by the UK government, aims increase national capacity for inclusive economic growth through more future-ready TVET/skills training systems and the promotion of equality and diversity.
• The SfP Malaysia Project focuses on TVET inclusiveness, quality, relevance and readiness whilst addressing skills mismatch issues.
• SfP also intends to assist national partners in improving policies to ensure industry-led TVET in public and private sectors and increase employment and career progress opportunities for TVET students.

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Introduction of Project

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Under the Quality pillar, the SfP Malaysia Project will conduct the comprehensive review of Malaysia’s lifelong learning policies and systems, aiming to:

• Understand current lifelong learning system in Malaysia;
• Identify gaps with the needs of workers and students from or in TVET and skills training.

The results of this analysis will be utilized to refine relevant activities of the Skills for Prosperity Programme in Malaysia and other ILO’s initiatives.

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Introduction of Project

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Background of Project: Comprehensive Review of Malaysia’s Lifelong Learning Policies and Programmes

In Malaysia, lifelong learning is implemented by education and training institutions under the supervision of 15 ministries. The problems and challenges of lifelong learning in Malaysia include :

1. Lack of a comprehensive lifelong learning policy,
2. Lack of supervision,
3. Lack of awareness and participation,
4. Lack of financial support,
5. Lack of mechanisms and infrastructure,
6. Overlapping lifelong learning activities and programs and recognition issues.

Therefore, it is important to thoroughly understand Malaysia’s current lifelong learning system and find out the gap between the needs of workers and students.

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Project Objectives

The objectives of the Comprehensive Review of Malaysia’s Lifelong Learning Policies and Programmes is to:

• Identify the definition, sociocultural factors, as well as economic and innovation needs of lifelong learning within the context of Malaysia.
• Examine lifelong learning currently at play in Malaysia in terms of policy and regulatory framework, implementation mechanisms, and other supporting systems to facilitate lifelong learning as well as impacts of that learning.
• Assess and analyze the capacity of current policy and systems in meeting the renewed expectation on lifelong learning to support resilience and the transitions that people face throughout their working life.
• Suggest areas for improvement in policy, institutional arrangements and supporting mechanisms.

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Key research questions and themes

• Policy gaps
• How is the LLL system responding to existing challenges?
• What are the desirable outcomes of LLL and what can be improved to achieved them?
• What are the prioritised areas regarding the role and purpose of diverse learning and support activities?
• Institutions
• Are the existing institutional and regulatory mechanisms for LLL system?
• Do existing coordination and governance mechanisms encourage the participation of relevant stakeholders in planning, implementation and monitoring?
• Finance
• Is funding effective, efficient and transparent, serving economic and social equity targets?

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Key research questions and themes

• Relevance of LLL Programmes
• Does the existing learning offer provide an effective response to dynamic economic and innovation needs? How can that response be improved?
• Gender Equality and Social Inclusion
• Do vulnerable groups have enough access to quality training?
• Are there adequate support systems to raise awareness, enhance accessibility and relevance of offer, including RPL and career guidance and incentives?
• Are non-formal, modular, informal and digital offers sufficiently connected to certification, qualification and quality assurance systems?
• Is digital, hybrid and self-directed training an equitable and quality offer?
• Impact or effects for employers and workers
• Are there adequate mechanisms to ensure employee’s re/upskilling efforts are rewarded in terms of remuneration, working conditions and career progression?

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Methodology

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Terms of Reference (TOR) for Core Group Members (CGM)

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The SfP Malaysia forms the core group to ensure the quality of the report of this comprehensive review in terms of information, analysis, and recommendation. In specific, the following output will be delivered:

• The research plan
• The interim report
• The draft final report
• The final report

Formation of Core Group Members

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A. Main activities of CGM

1. The main activities are as follows:

• 1^st on-line core group meeting to introduce the project and confirm the Terms of Reference of core group members by 10 March 2022
• 2^nd on-line core group meeting to discuss the findings from the interim report by 11 April 2022 (TBC).
• 3^rd on-line core group meeting to discuss the findings from the final report by by 1 June 2022 (TBC).
• 1 half-day on-line seminar to present the final report findings to a wider audience by 15 June 2022 (TBC).

2. Act as speakers at the on-line seminar upon mutual agreement with the ILO.

3. Actively participate in the seminars, meetings, or workshops, which will be organised by the SfP Malaysia, and support the dissemination of the report to key stakeholders.

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B. Responsibilities of Core Group Members

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1. Actively participate in the group meetings, one-to-one discussions and other key events organised by the ILO and/or UTHM for the development and dissemination of the report.
2. Provide the ILO and UTHM with technical inputs to the report via meetings, e-mail and other means, regarding the following issues regarding lifelong learning in Malaysia but is not limited to:
• Policy gaps, institutions, finance, relevance to industry skills needs, gender equality and social inclusion, impact or effects for employers and workers.
• Recommendations for policy, implementation and quick wins.
3. Review the report developed by the appointed ILO consultants and provide written comments for improving the report
• Comments for research plan.
• Comments for a draft final report.
• Comments for a final report.

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B. Responsibilities of Core Group Members

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4. Actively participate in the on-line seminar, where the final report will be shared with key stakeholders in Government, Industry and other social partners (e.g. academia, TVET/skills institutions, civil society organizations).
5. Assist the ILO to disseminate the finalised report via various communication platforms, such as press conferences and social media.
6. Foster and mobilize implementation of the policy recommendations by partners to ensure their continued collaboration in addressing challenges in lifelong learning.

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Proposed Members

The Core Group Member consists of:

• Ten (10) government agencies,
• Two (2) industry associations/employers’ organizations,
• One (1) worker’s organizations,
• Five (5) social partners such as TVET/skills training institution representatives and civil society organisations (CSOs).

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Government Ministries/Agencies

• Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR)
• Department of Skills Development (DSD)
• Planning and Policy Research Division.
• Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp).

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Proposed Members

Government Ministries/Agencies

• Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE)
• Department of Polytechnic and Community Colleges Education.
• Policy Division.
• Unit of Lifelong Learning Curriculum Division, Dept. of Polytechnic & Community Colleges Education.
• Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).
• Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS)
• Division of Youth Skills Development.
• Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister Office (EPU, PMO)
• Human Capital Development Division.
• Ministry of Education (MOE)
• Division of Vocational Technical Education & Training.

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• Industry associations/employers’ organizations.
• Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF).
• Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM).
• Workers’ organizations
• Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC).
• Social Partners
• TVET/Skills institution representatives
• TVET Instructor Competence Development Division, Planning And Development. Training Program Division, Centre for Instructor and Advanced Skill Training (CIAST).
• Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN).
• Federation of JPK Accredited Centers Malaysia (FeMAC).
• Civil Society Organizations
• Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Sarawak (TEGAS).
• Women Entrepreneur Network Association Malaysia (WENA).

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Duration of Appointment

The core group will be active for 3 months, from 10^th March 2022 to 20^th June 2022 unless earlier termination is notified by the ILO.

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Questions and answer session on the TOR.

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Wrap up and immediate next steps.

• Confirmation of the TOR and core group members.
• Second online core group meeting is scheduled on 11 April 2022
• Submission of interim report for technical inputs by core group members by 4^th April 2022 (TBC)

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Thank You

For further information:

Assoc.Prof.Dr Razali Hassan, Project Leader: razalih@uthm.edu.my

Assoc. Prof. Dr Lai Chee Sern, Project Manager: lcsern@uthm.edu.my

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