The effectiveness of industrial training in developing skills and experience for human capital development Rabbiatul Najua Rosman,

Mohd. Khata Jabor, Dr, Sarimah Ismail, Cik. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Abstract Competition among students to get job once they graduated is getting tougher day by day. For students to secure a job that will determine their career in future require high quality working experience before they could be accepted to work in any companies. However, hands-on experience is impossible to be gained in the classroom alone. It only can fully build up in laboratory or real world confrontation. Thus, through industrial training programmes, students may introduce themselves in actual working environment. Nevertheless, the quality of the training among students is an issue that should be taken seriously. This paper studies the quality of industrial training programmes and its implications towards providing skilled workforce for national human capital development. Abstrak Persaingan antara para pelajar untuk mendapatkan pekerjaan selepas tamat pengajian semakin hari semakin mencabar. Pelajar memerlukan pengalaman pekerjaan yang berkualiti tinggi sebelum diterima untuk bekerja di sesebuah syarikat di mana ia adalah penentu masa hadapan pelajar tersebut. Walau bagaimanapun, pengalaman pekerjaan ini adalah sesuatu yang mustahil untuk diperolehi di dalam kelas sahaja. Oleh yang demikian, melalui program latihan industri, pelajar berpeluang untuk menimba pengalaman dan mendapat pendedahan berkaitan dunia pekerjaan sebenar. Namun begitu, kualiti latihan industri yang dijalankan merupakan satu isu yang harus di ambil berat. Penulisan ilmiah ini adalah berkaitan dengan kualiti latihan industri serta kesannya dalam membekalkan tenaga kerja mahir bagi pembangunan modal insan negara.

INTRODUCTION Highly skilled workers with high competencies and professionalism have been a main demand in industry to cater latest developed technology usage. Unfortunately, graduates nowadays are not equipped well with these skills. They are also lack of experience in handling hi-tech machineries which encourage industry to hire foreign specialized labor (Rafik et al.,2008). As result, industry faced major problem with their human resource capacity which in bigger nutshell, it will affect their productivity. Addition to the problem, learning institutions provide courses that unparalleled with the needs of industry which contribute to high unemployment rate (Ayuba, 2009). Due to these problems, industrial training is introduced with expectation of better preparation for students to equip themselves with hands-on experience and knowledge before they enter working world. The experience gained from this vocational training program will give better hope for them to secure better job opportunities in future (Armand, 2009). Industrial training is defined as a training program for student in tertiary education in order to gain experience on development of skill and the nature of workplace. Industrial is defined as a company engaged in industry production or service while training is defined as a process to develop and emphasize knowledge and expertise skill in people (Swanson and Holton III, 2001). Human Capital Theory explained this training method as a way to socialize outcomers into conforming to the organizations norms and values (Swanson and Holton III, 2001). The effectiveness of industrial training has been proved as effective method or programs to develop practical and professional skills (Omar et al., 2008). The experience and learning gained from industrial training help the most to improve their skills in every aspect for their career development and employment. This training method also explained as a way to promote lifelong learning and effective to transfer the learning to workplace. Cheetham and Chivers (2001) stated that range of experience had found particularly in training method help people to become fully competent professional and maximizing their development of practical and professional skills.

INDUSTRIAL TRAINING: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE In tertiary education, the level of curiosity amongst student is very high and learning is considered effective when student are given opportunity to learn in real workplace environment. Andragogical model of learning explained that an intervention of training and learning is the proper performance improvement for adult learners. The six principle proposed in this model rationalized adult learners typically learned through life centered learning which requires them to develop experiences gained as a process to increase the level of skill improvement in order to achieve self-potential (Swanson and Holton III, 2001). Knowles (1995) also stressed applying experiential techniques in training established skill performance for individual growth. Thus, students prior and related experiences can be applied in the environment of actual work nature Pretty et al. (1995) stated adults learn best when their active participation is encouraged, their experience is valued and the content is relevant to their daily work. The principle and learning design in andragogical practices clarifies that adult learners are motivated to learn matters that related to their individual and situation needs and differences. Industrial training significantly teaches them to be more self directive in order to acquire skills and experience they need as individual and in career development as well. Experiential model of learning also valuing experience for emphasize competencies and performance. The four steps in experiential learning cycle suggested by Kolb (1984) summarizes that experiences gained from training program is a good technique to develop learning process to performances enhancement (Swanson and Holton III, 2001). The phase of concrete experience stressed student to emerge their prior and new experiences in actual work environment through training program. As they engaged their experiences in the training program, the student make observation and reflect on its application through discussion with colleagues and trainers. The next phase emphasized on concept integration from acquired experiences and observation. The last phase stressed on the process of testing implications of new concepts in new situation. It focuses on applying the rationale from experiences gained to make decisions and solve problems in work environment.

Figure 1: Kolbs experiential learning model (source: Swanson and Holton III, 2001) These phase theoretically proved that experience and skills can be enhanced through training program. The implications from learning gained help students to develop themselves in real work nature. Industrial training is effectively developed student to value their experiences and improve performance to be applied in their future workplace. It significantly clarifies that industrial training program may enhance skills and experiences (Swanson and Holton III, 2001).

INDUSTRIAL TRAINING AS WORK RELATED LEARNING Work related learning is defined as planned activities that use the context of work to develop knowledge, skills and understanding useful in work, including learning through the experience of work, learning about work and working practices, and learning the skills for work. (Quality and Curriculum Authority,2003) Based on Knight and Yorke (2004), work related learning involves four interrelated learning: work. Learning about oneself ones capabilities, confidence, life interests and career Learning and practising skills and personal attributes of value in the world of orientations.

Experiencing the world of work in order to provide insights and learning into the

world of work predominantly associated with the subjects of ones higher education studies Experiencing and learning how to learn and manage oneself in a range of situations, including those to be found at work and central to self management and development activities. (Knight and Yorke, 2004)

Work related learning occurred in technical institutions and universities that include academic programs such industrial training provide student with abilities to apply their discipline knowledge and reflect their experiences and skill in order to empower them to be succeed in the real workplace and wider lives (Moreland, 2005). Industrial training is concerned with the development of a graduate to fit with the changing economic situation and evolving job markets. It assists individual graduates to respond to society development effectively. Such a successful industrial training programs may promotes learning as well as related skills and knowledge to address the rapid changes of economic growth (Mills, 2002). A set of achievement while practicing the combination of skills and knowledge make individuals more likely to gain major opportunity in career development and be successful in their chosen jobs (Yorke and Knight, 2003). Through effective industrial training, students may recognized and identify their functions while working in the real workplace. The skills, knowledge and experience acquired from industrial training become the vital factors in job market value ( Swanson and Holton III, 2001). If students are able to link these factors in the real workplace, there will be no more issues regards on lack of human expertise appeared in particular organization.

ROLE OF INDUSTRIAL TRAINING FOR HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT Industrial training is considered fundamentally important to human capital development.
Industrial training is likely a catalyst to mould a distinctive growth of expertise workers and thoroughly enhance human capital development. The importance of human capital development to a survival of economic and national growth needed to be emphasized. Gary (2001) reported that: Manpower is the basic source, the indispensable means of correcting other resources to mankinds use and benefit. How well we train, develop and employ human skill is fundamental in deciding how we will accomplish organization. (Gary, 2001)

Developed country such as Korea, Taiwan and Singapore take accounts the involvement of government to provide industrial training as way to encourage manpower growth for human capital development (Tzannatos and Johnes, 1997). In achieving Malaysia as developed country in 2015, Tenth Malaysia Plan (2011- 2015) had underline a framework of education and training in order to fulfill highly skilled workforce demands. Transformation of education stressed on the improvement of education and training as alternative path to assure the integration of human capital for industrial needs and productivity. Saglam and Oral (2010) mentioned that manpower is one of three main components that industry needs to continue its production. The initiative of these transformation strategies focused on the training programs for students in order to produce highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce. Strategies proposed such as the industrial internship training system imitatively increased the experienced and professional graduates and thus, result in reducing amount of unemployed graduates. Thoroughly, it may also ensure the development of national human capital. According to government strategies in Tenth Malaysia plan (2011- 2015), education and training is reliable to make student realize their self potential towards achieving career opportunities. The strategy of National Dual Training System (NDTS) is distinguished to improve the development of highly skilled worker in Malaysia by 2015. Thus, the increasing numbers of highly skilled workers in labour market affect the growth of human capital development and transform Malaysia as a high income nation through specialization (The Economic Planning Unit, 2010).

Vocational College (VC) proposed for secondary students is one of the strategies to develop individual with skills and experience to arise human capital development (Pillay,2005). Students in Vocational College are encouraged to improve their competencies and knowledge through several phases of industrial training. The real workplace environment gives student opportunities to acquire skills and gather experience (Savage, 1999). It consecutively develops human capital and national economic growth. Other strategies proposed in Tenth Malaysia Plan is the Polytechnic Transformation where it introduced polytechnic as an integrated technical and vocational institution for tertiary students to expand their knowledge, improve their industrial skills through industrial training programs provided in order to increase human capital development for individual and national economic goals. Polytechnic Initiative Transformation enable students a path to be a highly skilled and experience workforce to emerge with the labour market demands in Malaysia and thus, creating a distinctive human capital (Higher Education Ministry, 2009).

CONCLUSION Industrial training will benefits students to gain experience and also increase their capability in technical, technology and generic skills literacy. These skills are important for their future to determine their career path where it helps them in securing first job which is important as start of their life in real world. When the students have equipped themselves with necessary skills and experienced they have gained through industrial training, it boosts up their possibility to be outstanding among other students without industrial experience. Thus, it will increases their confidence level which affected in achieving job satisfaction and later on will increase productivity. This relationship shows the importance of human capital and also its development. As explained earlier, human capital is one of the most important factors required for industry to function effectively. Therefore, it is important for us to invest in the development of human capital. Providing industrial training to vocational students is one of investments the national could get involve in.

However, making industrial training a demand driven exercise is also a challenging task as it requires a fundamental reorientation of training policies such as changes in the objectives and governance structures of industrial training. This is the challenges that every sector need to face and pay attention to. Cooperation between sectors is an alternative to ensure that human capital is developed effectively and efficiently. As conclusion, industrial training is an alternative to improve our human capital production. It gives more benefits and increase students work readiness before they enter working world. Challenges and problems need to overcome in order to provide high quality workers to industry which will affect on national productivity.

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