Rokiah Mahmud
Some 53 participants comprising industry practitioners and Institute Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) instructors are participating in two training programmes at Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation Regional Centre for Vocational and Technical Education and Training (SEAMEO Voctech).
The programmes are Training of Trainers on Automotive Technology using Virtual Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Training of Trainers on Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC) Technology using Virtual TVET.
The first continues until today and the second from tomorrow until June 16.
Deputy Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education (MoE) Dr Chin Wei Keh, the guest of honour, officiated the opening ceremony.
SEAMEO Voctech Centre Director Alias bin Haji Abu Bakar, in a text read by Centre Deputy Director Pengiran Haji Mohammad Sufri bin Pengiran Ali, said digital transformation has impacted every levels of education including TVET. “The advent of online learning has challenged instructors and trainers today to utilise technology in the training and learning ecosystem.
“Hence, as the regional centre that has been mandated to strengthen and improve the quality of TVET in Southeast Asia, it is also our mission to provide TVET instructions in Brunei and around the region with the latest and most effective teaching methods in the digital environment. This is in line with SEAMEO Voctech’s five-year development plan themed ‘Preparing TVET for Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0)’,” said the centre director. “In view of this, the centre has initiated collaboration via a memorandum of agreement with the globally renown education technology organisation Labtech International Ltd.
“Among areas of collaboration include to enhance the pedagogical and digital skills of TVET instructors to be equipped to train using virtual TVET as well as other emerging technologies in their teaching delivery.”
He said such training aims to provide instructors and trainers with innovative ways and approaches to their delivery of training, understanding the various digital tools that are available and utilise digital technologies to leverage the students’ and trainees’ learning
experiences.
“By fostering digital transformation in TVET through capacity-building endeavours, SEAMEO Voctech can help in rebranding the image of TVET nationally and regionally, while at the same time offering quality education to students and trainees as a result to produce a highly skilled workforce that is geared for IR4.0 and beyond,” said Alias.
Labtech International’s LabTech Academy General Manager and Digital Programmes Manager Bradley Ker expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Education (MoE) for its support by allowing SEAMEO Voctech and LabTech to collaborate.
Ker said the training incorporates virtual TVET which is a 3D gaming technology to assist the teachers and instructors in adapting and adopting new technology to make it easier to deliver 21st-Century skills.
