From: Moustafa Wahba [mailto:
mmm.wahba@gmail.com]
Sent: 2011-03-31 13:21
Subject: Re: How to Support the Quality of Competency Based Assessment in aTVET System ?
Dear Camara
Thank you for following the issues, I raised in this thread and you have
encouraged me to explain my own thoughts on the topics you raised as well
as other challenging topics.
Considering the myriad problems facing the Developing Countries, TVET is
not only important, it is a prerequisite. In managing TVET within
Developing Countries, I generally start by critically reviewing some of the
problems and challenges facing the TVET and how TVET could be used to set
priorities and alleviate these problems before embarking on suggestions on
the way forward.
In my moderate point of view, the basic TVET System Reform Challenges
facing the Developing Countries are:
A. Engaging Community as Significant Players in TVET
It has been always a challenge to change the Mindset of parents, the
community and stakeholders about vocational education being second choice
to academic education. People tend to view TVET in a negative way, as
education and training meant for those who have failed in the society. Most
parents (even the ones with TVET background) want to see their children
becoming engineers, doctors, lawyers, etc. Just because they believe this
will give them better job opportunities. This challenge is vital to
development of TVET and it is apparently one of the major obstacles to
improve the social status of TVET.
If students who received a vocational education routinely earned better
incomes than those who choose the academic route, then parents would factor
this in their decision making.
The challenge is to create vocational programmes in the Developing
Countries that deliver professionally successful graduates. When we rise to
this challenge, the brightest students will be fighting for a place on TVET
schemes.
B. Systematic Professional Development of Instructors / Trainers /
Teachers
There are many challenges for TVET in the Developing Countries in terms of
systematic professional development of the demands of Instructors /
Trainers / Teachers. The Instructors / Trainers / Teachers are posed with
problems on how to use new technology and keep up with education / learning
/ teaching methods of various vocational training. This topic is one of the
most important issues when dealing with Quality Assurance of TVET as one of
the major objectives for TVET reforming in the Developing Countries.
C. Keeping Pace with Technological Advancements and Using Technology
Appropriates in TVET
There are many challenges for establishment of appropriate
infrastructures, upgrading existing material and training resources
available. There is need for proper tools, equipment to be used in
vocational training and be used by Instructors / Trainers / Teachers to
keep up with the skills with changing times.
The Developing Countries are still overly focused on science and
technology-based curricula and training programmes but they need to spend
as much effort on transformative critical pedagogy.
D. Encouraging Continuing TVET and Lifelong Learning
There is a challenge for putting in place a truly coherent and
comprehensive continuing TVET and lifelong learning strategies in Middle
East and North African Countries. Such strategies should be actively
encouraged and actions at all levels of continuing TVET and lifelong
learning should be developed.
E. Delivering a TVET Demand Approach
Unfortunately many TVET Institutions, In-company Based and Outside-company
Based TVET Centers in the Developing Countries are concentrating their
efforts on "Curriculum Mandates" and "Training Programme Writing"
without sufficient understanding of "Delivering a TVET Demand
Approach". TVET Institutions / Centers' Instructors / Trainers /
Teachers must take the time to fully appreciate and understand the
practicalities of teaching and planning on the basis of a demand approach
before engaging in lesson or unit writing.
Links between education and training and the employment sector should be
improved through researching the needs and competences that are on demand
or will be required in the future by the labor market. In this context,
emphasis is to be given to the enhancement of the vocational training
status and on establishing lifelong approaches, counseling and guidance to
vocational training. A special interest should be given to training
programmes that are promoting equal opportunities, thus enabling all to
have access to the labor market.
F. Vocationalisation of Higher Education HE
Considering that workforce-development is one key-issue for the overall
development of the Developing Countries, it is necessary that the best
brains, which usually gather in academic communities, also care for
education and training at that intermediate level. There are not many
Developing Countries, where "vocational disciplines" are implemented
through respective academic subjects at universities. During the last few
years some Developing Countries started to build up such university
subjects.
Even though vocational disciplines are of such great importance to
society, decision makers often are reluctant to the implementation of a
high number of them because still, vocational disciplines are not regarded
as full academic disciplines even in countries where they exist for a
longer time. The academic communities fear to damage their high status if
too many low quality subjects exist at their universities. Therefore it
might be wise, not to start with a too big number of vocational
disciplines, which will have to build up their own profile and thus compete
with already established academic disciplines.
The lack of appropriately trained TVET personnel in the Developing
Countries and the rigid curriculum requirements of TVET courses and
programmes generally limit the ability of training providers to accept
sustainable vocational education as a valuable education. Therefore such
barriers provide challenges for the TVET sector in the Developing Countries
that should be resolved and areas where Higher Education HE can contribute,
should be identified.
The TVET in Developing Countries should develop close interfaces with HE
and other education sectors to facilitate seamless pathways for learners
with an emphasis on relevant work experience and allow learners to enter
gainful employment or pursue HE opportunities.
G. Funding of TVET
Studies show that, in the Developing Countries, funding towards TVET is ad
hoc and arbitral and TVET Institutions have been neglected or overtaken by
institutions concentrating on purely academic education without any
practical training (On-the-Job Training OJT).
One major constraint that TVET is facing in the Developing Countries, is
the limited budget and this becomes the core issue as to why TVET
Institutions are not able to employ trained Trainers / Instructors /
Teachers, Assessors and Verifiers, support them in updating and upgrading
their skills, purchase most appropriate training facilities, aids and
technology for practical training (On-the-Job Training OJT) and accordingly
are not able to market themselves effectively, etc.
TVET Institutions can play an important role in the reproduction /
upgrading of the training materials and facilities to reduce the costs by
applying virtual learning. The TVET Institutions can also reduce costs by
negotiating the reproduction / upgrading of training packages designed and
developed for several enterprises at a time, and get better prices from
end users. Again, it is an investment that enterprises are not accustomed
to and which may sometimes cause disproportionate and irrational reactions
by management. That is the moment when TVET Institutions can submit
arguments justifying the investment and suggest alternative solutions.
While every reasonable effort should be made to reduce per capital cost,
there is a minimum below which effective TVET cannot be given, and if the
basic courses and training programmes do not permit of this minimum of per
capita cost, TVET will not be effective. From my experience and as
international figure, any enterprise / company / organization spending less
than 1-2% of their profit on TVET will not ensure the implementation of a
robust and effective TVET System.
H. Quality Assurance of the TVET System
It is out most important in managing TVET Systems in the Developing
Countries that a robust system is established at the national level to set
traditional criteria for management of quality assurance of the TVET
System. Such system is generally known as TVET Quality Assurance Management
System CAMS.
The Competency Assurance Management System CAMS is an established evidence
based quality control and assurance system identifying the methods and
procedures followed up to ensure that employees / apprentices / trainees
within Enterprises and TVET Institutions have the awareness, skills,
knowledge and attitudes to provide evidences and perform all the tasks
including Health, Safety and Environmental Protection HSEP Critical Tasks
effectively to the required Competency Level (Standard) at Work Location
through the training and development of the staff.
I. Engaging Industry as Significant Players in TVET
In order to convince and engage employers and enterprises (industry) to be
significant players in TVET in different Developing Countries, we should
ensure the following:
- Systematic professional development of TVET Trainers / Instructors /
Teachers, Assessors and Verifiers
- A TVET System should keep pace with technological advancements and use
technology appropriates in technical education and training
- Encouraging Continuing TVET and Lifelong Learning
- Delivering a TVET Demand Approach
- Develop and manage a robust evidence based Competency Assurance
Management System CAMS with a view to set a traditional criteria for
management of quality assurance of the TVET System (Quality Based TVET)
- Change the Mindset of parents, the community and stakeholders about
vocational education being second choice to academic education
- Implement "vocational disciplines" through respective academic
subjects at universities (Vocationalisation of Higher Education HE) and
identify the areas where HE and TVET could improve their collaboration with
a view to facilitate seamless pathways for learners and allow learners to
enter gainful employment or pursue HE opportunities
J. Establishment of Monitoring and Evaluation M & E Systems in TVET
Projects
Monitoring and Evaluation M & E Systems are generally established within
TVET Reform Projects / Pogrammes in order to provide a rational basis for
planning and implementing quality management for TVET and be used as an
effective measurement of the entire TVET Reform Project / Programme and
essential tools of ensuring quality improvement.
K. Establishment of Management Information System MIS & Knowledge
Management KM System
A Management information System MIS is generally established within TVET
Reform Systems / Projects / Programmes in order to:
- Provide a process that facilitate an effective, efficient and timely
internal information and data collection from different TVET Institutions
and Training Providers and make it accessible to all levels with a view to
manage TVET effectively.
- Support the management of most of the administrative functions such as
finance; personnel, student admission, resource planning, payroll functions
and library functions, etc.
- Support the sharing of information from resources which are fully
familiarized with the prime collectors of labour market details and
statistics.
- Establish a platform for external partnership involvement with the
information system related to the labour market
Best regards.
Eng. Moustafa Wahba
Competency Assurance & TVET Consultant
E-mail address:
mmm.wahba@gmail.comview thread online:
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