New TVET guideline

ALL theory and practical components of TVET can be conducted online if they meet the Performance Criteria and Assessment Criteria, Human Resources Ministry department of skills development (JPK) director-general Zaihan Shukri said.

These criteria which are listed in a guideline, he said, involve safety, attitude and application of equipment aspects as set out in the National Occupational Skills Standards.

Home-based skills teaching and training must:

> ensure that the teaching and learning processes are carried out as planned in a safe environment.

> be effectively implemented during the MCO period by the institutes’ management.

> be a collaborative effort between parents or guardians and the institutes to ensure the continuity of students’ training and learning despite them not attending classes.

> be conducted on the training institutes’ premises after the MCO, if it is not carried out via e-learning.

> involve appropriate learning methods based on the capabilities and readiness of the trainees; using easily accessible communication and application platforms.

The guideline was issued to public and private skills training institutes on April 13.

In early April, The Star reported that a TVET action committee representing private skills training institutions, had handed a proposal to the government with 10 suggestions to cushion the impact of Covid-19.

It had urged the government to allocate interest-free loans amounting to RM3bil to assist those badly affected by the pandemic.

The committee also appealed for the immediate implementation of online teaching and learning through platforms like Google Classroom and Telegram.