12. Breaking down the barriers between
formal,
non-formal and
informal approaches
This trend is in line with lifelong learning and education articulation whereby learners can
have the opportunity and options to enroll in various learning avenues throughout their lives and
their learning experiences can be recognized no matter where they learned it from UNESCO-
UNEVOC, 2008. In Indonesia, the policy of multi- exit and multi-entry is in line with this trend.
13. Initiatives in response to current trends and
issues In response to the above trends and issues in
TVET, this paper proposes some initiatives that can be grouped into the followings:
14. Integration of 21
st
century skills
This initiative is particularly in response to the trends and issues on ICT in TVET and relevancy of
curriculum. This is also to promote lifelong learning and enhance competitiveness of TVET
graduates.
In this 21st century, expertise is a process, not a level of aptitude and TVET must incorporate
meta-cognitive skills, which is part o the 21st century skills, “to allow self directed learners to
continually improve, to allow coaches and mentors to better guide development, and to recognize a
wide array of “spaces” in which learning might take place” Todd, 2010. There is also an increasing
recognition that technical expertise alone is insufficient to ensure employability –“know how”
must be accompanied by “know who” and “know what” – contextually embedded practices and
networks, professional expectations, ethics, values and norms Inkson Arthur, 2001.
The importance of 21st century skills, within which also include “good work cultures” is also
stressed by prominent economist David Landes stating that these skills can be the determining
factors for country’s development.
“Although climate, natural resources, and geography all play roles in explaining why some
countries are able to make the leap to industrialization and others are not, the key factors
is actually a country’s cultural endowments, particularly the degree to which it has internalized
the values of hard work, thrift, honesty, patience, and tenacity, as well as the degree to which it is
open to change.” David Landes, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations as cited by Friedman 2005.
The integration of 21st century skills in TVET curriculum has led to demands for broader forms of
initial vocational education which lay the foundation for further learning. These essentials
and foundations skills are very crucial for the 21st century. The response to this in many countries has
been to readjust upper secondary vocational programmes to contain a larger element of general
education and more generic forms of vocational preparation, where the latter prepares participants
for a cluster of occupations in a given sector rather than for a single one Atchoarena, 2010.
Figure 1. 21
st
Century student outcomes and support systems
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The broad thinking around 21st century learning acknowledges the need for new “form and
function” to be added to education goals. This thinking is informed by a belief that learning must
leverage the affordances of new technologies, employ better pedagogies based on recent research
on how people learn, and be cognizant of the characteristics of a new breed of learners. This is
not say that “basics” and “core subject learning” need to be done away with Smartbean, 2009.
To summarize, the 21st century skills can be stated as the following, “To be productive
contributors to society in our 21st century, you need to be able to quickly learn the core content of a
field of knowledge while also mastering a broad portfolio
of essentials
learning, innovation,
technology, and careers skills needed for work and life” Trilling Fadel, 2009, p16.
15. Enhancing
TVET efficiency
and effectiveness
To enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of TVET, there are few suggestions to be considered:
horizontal and vertical articulations, breaking down the barriers between formal, non-formal and
informal approaches, and enhancing school- business and industry partnerships. Increased
possibilities for transfer between vocational and academic courses have been initiated in Indonesia,
including improved progression routes into, and out of, the vocational tracks. In practice, however, there
are many obstacles in the fields. For vertical articulation, a further development has been to
devise progression routes for the vocational tracks so that successful students may have further access
to tertiary level education and some courses taken at secondary level can be matriculated for tertiary
level courses.
The implementation of National Qualification Framework NQF that recognizes all forms of
learning at various levels will minimize the barriers between formal, non-formal and informal learning
and promote lifelong learning. NQF
incorporates the qualifications from each education and
training sector into a single comprehensive national qualifications framework which is
very useful for recognizing various types of learning.
To improve
the relevancy
of TVET
programmes, partnerships between school and industry is necessary. School and industry can share
resources that will benefit both parties. The strong partnership with industry can also improve job
information and career guidance for the students.
To address the issue of access and equality, TVET should open to all by including minorities,
disadvantages groups, and reaching the unreached regardless of gender, ethnic, and religious
background by using the ICTs and other approaches,. This expansion, however, should
correspond to the needs of labour market and national economy. The government has a role to
provide education, especially TVET for all, providing career guidance to the students, and in
the end let them decide what type of education they want to pursue.
16.
Continuous Improvement
through Research and Development
The initiation of research division at the school level or district level is necessary at least to
tackle institutional research in this knowledge- based economy. Secondary and postsecondary
educational institutions should work hand in hand to conduct research to proliferate research-based
policies
and practices.
Some of the research
agenda that can be tackled
are TVET
management and
quality assurance
that eventually can improve of overall
TVET quality and the image of TVET.
By
utilizing the
data from school, alumni,
and industries, a school
management should encourage
their staff
to conduct
institutional research. This type of research can among others continuously update school statistics,
tracer study, and labour market prediction. To
improve teaching-learning
process, teachers should be equipped with skills in
conducting classroom action research. This will provide opportunity for teachers to share their
experiences with others in conferences or through publication of their findings that eventually will
inspire them to improve their teaching, improve their creativity and innovativeness.
17. Concluding remarks
TVET does not exist in a vacuum; it is shaped and should correspond to the changing demand of
labour market, economy, and socio-cultural phenomena that is affected by globalization. TVET
roles in the 21st century are paramount, providing opportunities for individuals for better careers and
lives,
helping industries
improve their
Top: Represent students
outcomes
Bottom: Represent the
support system
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