Alliance and partnership of TVET education with industries

(Part III and concluding article on IVETA-CPSC Regional Conference)

Are we Filipinos generally bashful, lethargic and fainthearted? Do parents and teachers have to always prod our children to greet relatives or friends whenever they meet them? How about the adults who generally avoid greeting foreign visitors? Are we different from other Asians? The Japanese automatically bow and greet visitors. Business-oriented Thais, Vietnamese, Chinese and Indians easily get acquainted and befriend strangers. Indonesians and Malaysians are different and tend to be passive.

How can the curriculum be transformed to make the youth self-assured, hardworking, forceful and daring, courageous, vivacious and energetic.

Gaps in the present system of technical education

Track session I “TVET” Curriculum for ESD involved five speakers including Dr. Thete and Prof. Parlikar from Maharashtra India and me. Dr. Ajit Thete and Dr. Urmilar Parlikar of the directorate of Technical Education in the Aurangabad Region of Maharashtra India stated that other than the lack of relevant knowledge with participatory approach, lack of assessment and evaluation, the personal and social development of the technical student is generally missing. Therefore the TVET-ESD Model should be able to build a confident society. How can the curriculum framework be “inclusive” to all races, to both genders, handicapped, indigenous people, even those in areas of conflict?

They referred to “SEM” or Sustainable Education Model innovative teaching approach, recommending the building of “lifelong learning” skills although they were not clear if this education covers infant, childhood, adolescent to adulthood time frame of the learner. The 12-year long Indian Basic Education starts at the age of 6 to 14 (Grades I to VIII), General Secondary Vocational Education Grades IX-X for the 15 to 16 year olds which include a Board Exam, then for the 17-18 Grades XI-XII, Polytechnic Senior Secondary, which is concluded with another advanced Board Exams granting a certificate.

For Manpower Technology, the Craftsman Training Scheme follows a pattern of 10+2 with focus on either Agriculture, Commerce, Health, Paramedic and Home Science. Exotic India is frequented by millions of tourists so each of the 37 states has numerous tourist markets with an abundance of handicrafts from wooden carvings, paintings of Indian mythology, beautifully woven and embroidered saris and shawls, costume jewelries and bangles. Most women have handlooms or embroidery stretch frames in the countryside specially favored by tourists are from the states of Rajhastan and Kashmir.

The ESD lifelong learning from preschool to adolescence

I was flattered that both Dr. Thete and Dr Parlikar were very attentive to my video presentation of Lifelong Learning from Preschool to Professional High school, whereby I showed preschoolers systematically laundering (13 steps) and setting the table with breakable snack plates and glasses, sweeping the floor (four steps) etc. These were done in a classroom fully-equipped not only with Practical Life but with Math, Science, Language apparata which provide a continuum of lessons, helping preschoolers acquire third grade competence.

In grade school, the “Prepared Environment” or the ESD classroom had culture loaded academic materials which provided lessons up to high school level, catching the enormous reasoning power of the 6 to 12 years old since this would weaken and be replaced by a strong creative mind and quest for economic independence in the professional high school. The rich cooking experience in grade school, which focuses on Filipino food, is replaced by quantity cookery using the various Asian recipes enjoyed by children and parents in the high school bistros.

Cameras flashed as the video showed giant posters of the “Work Formula”, work is a recipe, complete ingredients and tools, step by step procedure to get things done. “Work in a Prepared Environment” conditions children from preschool to transform one’s character to love work, order, to be friendly, obedient, and self-confident. Dr. Thete and Dr. Parlikar were convinced that the development of the human potential from infancy to adolescence is the real Lifelong Education.

Meeting the needs of industry through sustainable TVET programs

Ms. Wendi J. Howell, director of CETE Center on Training for Employment of the Ohio State University, serves as a liaison between industry and career technical education to create a globally competitive workforce. Her 12-year experience in the Fortune 100 company and public education helped develop her report sharing samples of secondary and post secondary education programs in the US that have been successful in creating business/community partnerships, to meet the impact of sustainable development.

She stated that the goal of TVET programs is to identify local labor market needs in terms of worker competence and skills. This is done by conducting occupational analysis, developing standards, designing curriculum and writing assessment for certifications. At the core of this process is the need for industry involvement so that employers recognize and value TVET programs. Greater employer involvement leads to more sustainable programs.

One of the main problems is that most employers cannot afford to release expert workers for occupational analysis or standard development panels. So how can TVET obtain industry input and buy-in? Education must integrate with industry to capture these needs. One way Ms. Howell suggested is for more education leaders to serve on industry and occupational councils to help with existing occupational analysis. Companies must constantly address their technical and professional requirements in the global knowledge economy.

Samples of corporate training programs for employers

Dr. Rupert Maclean is currently the director of the Center for Lifelong Learning Research and Development at Hong Kong Institute of Education. He was also Director of the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Center for Education, Bonn Germany and Chief of the Asia-Pacific Center for Educational Innovation for Development, UNESCO Bangkok. Dr. Maclean gave a sample of corporate training program for employers:

VIETNAM TEXTILE INDUSTRY - Garment 10 Joint Stock Company, Garco 10 is a leader in environmental training for its employees. The company employs 7,500 workers across 13 factories in six provinces in Vietnam. Its turnover is $85 million, manufacturing clothing for companies such as Perry Ellis, J.C. Penny, Gap, Van Heusen, Walmart and K-mart. Since Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization, Garco 10 has obtained ISO9001 certification for quality and management, ISO14001 for environment protection, and SA8000 for social responsibility for employees. Training is central to all these. Garco 10 runs its own training academy for 500 new employees each year.

REEBOK - Organizes training workshops in its worldwide network of factories on issues such as strengthening compliance with standards for non discrimination, acceptable working hours, no forced or compulsory labor, fair wages, no child labor, freedom of association and safe and healthy working environments. Outside experts and NGOs are commissioned to help worker representatives understand their rights and to improve their communication and problem solving skills.

TOYOTA - Provides their dealers with environmental information and compliance assistance related to requirements for the storage and disposal of their waste-steam materials, implementation of their own waste management programs and other way of operating their business in an environmentally responsible manner. Additional support is provided through telephone hotline and newsletters.

MALAMPAYA PROJECT OF SHELL PHILIPPINES EXPLORATION B.V. - This project is currently the largest and most important undertaking in the country today. It gave birth to the natural gas industry, which will enable the Philippines to have savings as it imports less oil from other countries. A strict program called the Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Management System was used as a guide for the Malampaya Project. The project is active in several communities in Palawan particularly the rural electrification program; in Mindoro’s Sustainable Development Programs that encourages self-sufficiency in the areas of business, livelihood, lending cooperatives and environmental protection and social service; in Mindoro’s Biodiversity Conservation Program; Training and Business Micro-Financing in Batangas; the Bat Restoration Program and Community-Based Forest Management in Subic and partnership with the Department of Energy.

What is the end and be all of education?

What is the end and be all of education but the capacity to be well employed in order to contribute to the economy and well being of one’s country. For half a century since America gave us our independence we were suppose to be truly self sustainable. Historical documents showed how America set up vocational curriculum from grade school to high school. However before we could stand on our own feet the war destroyed our country and killed experts already trained abroad to educate and govern our country professionally. Quality control and monitoring in various government agencies deteriorated. Unqualified protégés of government officials further deteriorated the high standards the Americans have set up.

Let us learn the professional formula for the best TVET practices employed by other countries as they relate to major industries that employ quality skilled workers.