Scholarly Technical Education Publication Series (STEPS) Vol. 5, 2023

Trends, Challenges, and Innovations of APACC-Accredited TVET Institutions in Asia Pacific Based on the Established APACC Criteria

Authors:

    Kesavan Ulaganathen
    Mian Khuram Ahsan
    Paulo Anthony Mendoza
    G.L.D. Wickramasinghe
     Colombo Plan Staff College and Asia Pacific Accreditation and Certification Commission

Abstract

This paper ventures on how quality assurance through TVET accreditation works under the Asia Pacific Accreditation and Certification Commission (APACC), an international certification body in Asia Pacific established in 2004 to promote quality assurance within TVET institutions of its member countries. The research primarily aims to examine the emerging trends, challenges, and innovations of APACC-accredited TVET institutions in Asia Pacific based on the established seven criteria of APACC. It involves a qualitative approach in finding general points of convergence on the seven criteria between the accredited institutions from the final evaluation reports during onsite/online accreditation exercises. Upon examination of the 66 institutional evaluation reports from the accreditation exercises conducted from 2011 to 2023 from India, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines, and Thailand, it can be noticed that generally, TVET institutions lack the greatest number of points under the Criterion 4: Research and Development, and Criterion 5: Image and Sustainability, while most points gained are under Criterion 3: Human Resources, and Criterion 2: Teaching and Learning. Criterion 1: Governance and Management, Criterion 6: Other Resources, and Criterion 7: Support to Students have average scores relatively like one another. In conclusion, the paper presented should allow for a clear recommendation where 21st century TVET institutions across developing countries in Asia Pacific should focus on developing, publication, utilization, and commercialization of research innovations, transformative leadership and governance, continuous adoption of digital technology in teaching and learning, and promotion of sustainable development in TVET curricula and campus management.