Bridging an Education-Employment Gap: a Case Study of Technical and Vocational Higher Education in Taiwan
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Bridging an Education-Employment Gap: A Case Study of Technical and Vocational Higher Education in Taiwan Szufang Chuang, Indiana State University, USA ABSTRACT A disconnection between education, skills, and jobs was concluded in many study reports around the world. This research was an exploratory study to develop and assess the effectiveness of a systematic, practice-oriented, course evaluation model to narrow an education-employment gap in Taiwan. A five- stage course evaluation model was developed and implemented for a course in Human Resource Management at a technical and vocational university in Taiwan. Enterprises, subject matter experts, and students were involved to ensure that the course was redeveloped successfully to cultivate the technical workforce the leisure and recreation industry requires. The study revealed increased student satisfaction and a potential to narrow the education-employment gap. In addition, the results suggested that the course evaluation model achieved positive results and is practical to implement in further studies. This study also offers new insights for scholars and practitioners involved in workforce development and training practice in Taiwan. INTRODUCTION Globalization has created a demand for a higher quality labor force with professional knowledge and work-related abilities and skills (Chiu & Chuang, 2016). Advances in technology changes employment and the nature of work and creates long-term structural changes. Yet, many graduates are unemployed or underemployed without proper skills that employers are looking for, which shows a disconnection between education, skills, and jobs (Chartered Global Management Accountant® 2014). Both the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (2016) and the Chartered Global Management Accountant® (2014) recognize the employability issue where unemployment and skills shortage are occurring around the world and commit to address the global employability crisis. International Labour Organization (2013) estimated a global jobs gap of 67 million due to a result of economic crisis and expressed concerns over growing skills mismatch between supply of skills from institutions and demand of skills in the labor market. To overcome a skills shortage, International Labour Organization (2013) suggested vocational education and training enhancement and sufficient new employment opportunities. Government, education institutions, industry, and students themselves should work collaboratively to address the global issue of employability. Building an effective human capital plan requires trainers, adult educators, and human resource professionals to capture trends in industrial development and changes in the workforce in a timely manner. Technical and vocational higher education (TVHE) cultivated the workforce required for national economic construction and led Taiwan to become one of the Four Asian Dragons in the 1970s and 1980s. Currently, an increasing gap between employer needs and workforce skills has been a notable trend in Taiwan because of a lack of integration of vocational training in TVHE institutions (Siao, 2013). Further there are differences in equipment and materials utilized between schools and industry which also 150 The Journal of Human Resource and Adult Learning, Vol. 15, Num. 1, June, 2019 issue contributes to the education-employment gap (Siao, 2013). Accordingly, Taiwan has been criticized for its lack of a technical workforce and a mismatch between employer’s expectations and university graduates’ competencies (Chang & Wang, 2017; Ho, 2015). University graduates who do not have appropriate competencies required by employers tend to remain unemployed longer than graduates with lower degrees do (Ho, 2015). A higher education diploma is insufficient unless it provides evidence of skills, competencies, and readiness to be trained in the specifics of a particular industry in Taiwan. In the same vein, the culture has shifted, such that higher education is expected to do more to train a student to be prepared for a career. Narrowing the education-employment gap is an urgent issue and an important task for academic institutions and organizations. To address this issue, educational and vocational training systems must be improved with a strong connection between academic institutions and industries (Ho, 2015). The Taiwanese government has proposed national development plans designed to promote cooperative networks among enterprises, schools, and vocational training institutions (National Development Council, 2015). Specifically, industrial-academic collaboration is highly encouraged to ensure a greater link between education, skills, and jobs. Because advances in technology has increased people’s accessibility to higher education and demand for quality learning, a systematic course evaluation is critical to develop and deliver effective education programs or training that meet students’ and organizational needs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to seek a way to narrow the education-employment gap between TVHE and industry in Taiwan. Specifically, the study sought to develop a systematic and practice-oriented course evaluation model and verify its effectiveness to narrow the gap between academic learning and industrial needs. Discussion of Course Evaluation Course evaluation is an action science that systematically investigates instructional design, course implementation, learning activity, and involvement to improve learning outcomes (Marsh & Willis, 1995). It is a series of evaluations of the course objectives and the effect of the course development process. It serves the purpose of improvement and should be more than simply a questionnaire on instructional assessment (Stufflebeam, 1983). According to Tyler (1991), the purposes of evaluation are to: (1) monitor current programs; (2) select a better program to replace the previous one; (3) assist with new program development; (4) identify a program’s effects; (5) estimate a program’s costs and effects, and (6) test a program’s relevance and validity. Based on Tyler’s notion (1980), the evaluation process should address various issues, including identifying objectives and outcomes, developing valid and reliable forms of assessment and methods of data analysis, and using the results of evaluations. The Tylerian evaluation rationale is a more traditional, objectives-based evaluation approach that is concerned primarily with achieving a specific set of objectives (Zhang et al., 2011), and training practitioners and educators have used it widely. For example, the Tylerian objectives-based approach has been used to examine levels of competencies accepted in the nursing profession (Maclean, 1992). It is important to note that many objectivist philosophy-based models of instructional design follow the Tylerian approach (Dick et al., 2002; Gagné, Briggs, & Wager, 1992; Smith & Ragan, 2005; Vrasidas, 2000). In addition to the Tylerian view of evaluation, Stufflebeam’s (2003) Context Input Process Product (CIPP) evaluation model is one of the evaluation models used most widely in education settings (Zhang et al., 2011). The principal concepts of the CIPP model include: context (are the mission and program goals being met?); input (does the quality and quantity of resources meet the needs?); process (to what extent were the program components implemented?), and product (what outcomes resulted from this program?: The Journal of Human Resource and Adult Learning, Vol. 15, Num. 1, June, 2019 issue 151 Stufflebeam 2003). The model is “…a comprehensive framework for conducting formative and summative evaluations of projects, personnel, products, organizations, and evaluation systems” (Stufflebeam & Shinkfield, 2007, p.325). Many scholars and practitioners have used this model as a systematic framework to guide the conception, design, implementation, and assessment of training programs and to address the accountability of educational programs (Ho et al., 2011; Khalid et al., 2012; Rezaee & Shokrpour, 2011; Singh, 2004; Zhang et al., 2011). In one example, Rezaee and Shokrpour (2011) used the CIPP model as a conceptual framework to conduct performance assessments of academic departments and identify appropriate performance indicators, the results of which had a comprehensive effect on the students in the department’s programs. In another successful example, Ho et al. (2011) used a modified CIPP evaluation model to conduct a three-year evaluation project on a suicide prevention program in Taiwan; the study proved that the implementation of the program was valid and worthy of continued financial support. These examples provide strong evidence that the CIPP evaluation model helps organizations address performance evaluations of projects, personnel, and organizations. As Stufflebeam and Shinkfield (2007) stated, the CIPP evaluation model “…is configured especially to enable and guide comprehensive, systematic examination of social and educational projects that occur in the dynamic, septic conditions of the real world” (p. 351). One of the critical factors in course evaluation is instructional design (ID), which serves to promote learning’s effectiveness and minimize its difficulty (Merrison et al., 2007). According to Smith and Ragan (2005), ID requires four elements: (a) implementing instructional analysis; (b) designing instructional strategies; (c) evaluating instructional design and implementation, and (d) modifying instruction. A systematic ID involves analyzing instructional problems