Academia-Industry Link for Malaysia Textile and Apparel Industry

Malaysia apparel and textile manufacturers are facing challenging demand from competitors from other countries with more and more manpower and skills needed by the industry. In an effort to attract more young people to join the workforce in the industry, it is suggested that the importance of education and training, promotion of the industry and academia link; and the transformation of leadership is needed to carry out a closer collaboration between the industry and academia for propelling a structural change in the industry and academia relations. Managers and policy makers in the industry are advised to adopt new mindsets and practices in the face of these challenges.

Apparel and textile industry has started its root in 1957 by having the first textile factory in Tampoi, Johor. The industry has undergone massive growth in the last 53 years with at one time high with 8000 factories and down to around 2000 factories now.

This industry is unquestionably facing more and more challenges as competitors around the world are having cheaper resources and lower production cost with better quality. With so many factories setting up abroad, especially in the developing countries  Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, China,  textile and apparel industry in Malaysia is confronted with the challenges by creating a better link with academia so that the link between industry and academia could be better to attract more young new blood to understand and join the industry.

Today, we observe that a few institutions like UiTM, Tunku Abdul Rahman College and Kolej Selatan are providing the courses for training new blood to cater for the industry. Nevertheless, there are questions to be answered:

·        How effective are the training and education provided through the courses offered by the academia?

 

·        What are the real feedback from the industry on the graduates who have completed their studies and currently working in the industry?

 

·        Does the collaboration between industry and academia really help to enhance industry growth?

 

·        Does the industry have a strong leader with obligations and commitments to lead the link between industry and academia for growth in the next 20 years? 

 

We acknowledge that human capital is the most important asset of the industry and the survival of the industry rests on the human capital. The development of the industry not only depends on the existing workforce but also the future enrolment of young blood who need to acquire the skills and entrepreneurial knowledge. Training and education must continuously be provided to train and educate the workforce with skills and particular competencies needed in the industry. We have to look into the current situations of not able to recruit the workforce at different levels;

1.      Management staff with entrepreneurial skills

2.      Supervisory staff with skills and competencies

3.      Operators with knowledge and skills

MATAC has worked with Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM) and has developed a customised Professional Diploma in Textile & Apparel Management specifically for the industry, however; without such strong support from the industry on  such collaboration, textile and apparel industry will remain skeptical of the vision for change and it is difficult to see the light in the tunnel for the industry without the full commitment for the collaboration between the academia and industry to work out a long term link, that training and  education help to provide the needed workforce at all the levels for the growth and survival of the industry. Presently, most of the people in the industry may agree that we are not in a very comfortable position to maintain our position to have an annual export of RM10 billion. Let us all work hard to improve the current situation for the better future of this industry.

 (This article is courteously contributed by Mr. Liaw Fenn Yenn, Head of Tunku Abdul Rahman College [TARC- Johor Branch])

 

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