"... in this (technical education) regard it is also appropriate for the Ministry of Education to re-assess the position of technical and vocational education to ensure that this education can contribute to the requirements of industries and employment for locals..."
- His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam
Translation of excerpt from HM's Titah (official royal address) in conjunction with the New Year 2013
This profile is represented by the Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE). SEA-VET.NET shall supplement more information from Polytechnic Brunei, as well as other TVET line Ministries, private TVET institutions and relevant agencies in the course of time. Please click here to share relevant information to help us further develop the profile.
Bandar Seri Begawan
Oil & Gas; Construction
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) was formally introduced in Brunei Darussalam in 1970 with the formation of two trade schools, namely the Sekolah Pertukangan Bagunan (Building Trade School) in the Brunei-Muara District and the Sekolah Kejuteraan Kerajaan (Government Engineering School) in the Belait District. These schools offered UK-based craft programmes to meet the needs of Form Three leavers.
The importance of TVET in Brunei has only grown ever since.
Brunei’s economy relies heavily on the oil and gas industry. With depleting oil reserves, the nation needs to prepare itself for the future and ensure its economic sustainability. In response to the new needs, the Government is working towards achieving economic diversification. Education, particularly, technical and vocational education and training is playing a strategic role in preparing a workforce that is diverse, skilled, employable and able to meet the demands of a future non-oil economy.
The Ministry of Education (MoE) is the main Ministry responsible for TVET. The MoE continues to respond more effectively to the needs and expectations of the nation as ‘one system’. In line with the ‘whole-nation approach’, the MoE is strategising a unified pathway starting from education and training until entering the workforce.1
With the Brunei Technical Education Transformation strategic initiative and the establishment of Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) and Politeknik Brunei (PB), the MoE has already laid the foundations for preparing highly competitive and skilled graduates.
In addition, lately great emphasis has been laid on engaging the private sector in making the TVET programmes more relevant and graduates more employable. Resultantly, one of the main strategic decisions under the transformation initiative has been the shift from a supply-driven TVET system to the one that is demand-driven. Both public institutions strive to impart quality technical education that is in line with the demands of the industry so that graduates would be able to find employment upon course completion.
Brunei Darussalam is in need of a skilled and entrepreneurial workforce to spur economic development of the country as envisioned by Brunei’s Vision 2035. TVET must prepare learners for gainful employment and sustainable livelihoods.
Brunei Vision 2035 (Wawasan Brunei 2035)2,3 (fig. 1)33 aims to transform Brunei Darussalam by 2035 as a nation widely recognised for:
Education plays a strategic role (fig. 2)33 in achieving the goals of Wawasan Brunei 2035. The Ministry of Education (MoE), with its mission to ‘provide holistic education to achieve fullest potential for all’4 considers the SPN-21 - National Education System for the 21st Century or in Malay, Sistem Pendidikan Negara Abad ke-21 (SPN-21)5 to:
Vocational and technical education is one of the main pillars of the SPN-21 (fig. 3).33 TVET in Brunei aspires to achieve the following goals in the long term:
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)
Three main KPIs are used to measure the success of TVET in Brunei (fig. 4).33 They are:
In terms of aligning national goals with common development goals for TVET at regional level, Brunei has participated in regional dialogues and workshops on development of TVET initiatives that focus on the harmonisation of TVET in Southeast Asia covering topics such as TVET teacher standards, TVET quality assurance and more. The establishment of Regional SEAMEO Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training - SEAMEO VOCTECH in Brunei, reinforces the role that TVET has acquired for the region. TVET is one of the seven priority areas of SEAMEO 2016-2020.
As stipulated in international political agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), TVET is central to the development goals of Brunei. It has the potential to address key issues such as core labour standards and occupational health and safety, and plays a significant role in the effort to build sustainable value chains. SDGs 4, 5 and 8 respectively are directly related to vocational education. The Education for All (EFA) goal, too, forms an important frame of reference for Brunei’s TVET development policy.7 At the policy level:
In order to realise Brunei Vision 2035, eight strategies3 have been identified: (i) education, (ii) economy, (iii) security, (iv) institutional development, (v) local business development, (vi) infrastructure development, (vii) social security, and (viii) environment.
The education strategy in particular will ‘prepare the youth for employment and achievement in a world that is increasingly competitive and knowledge-based’.3 In moving towards 2035, it puts in place the following eight Outline Strategy Policy Directions (OSPD):
These are translated into education reforms and MoE’s Strategic Plan (2022-2018) (fig. 5).1 By focusing on three specific areas viz. leadership and governance, system-wide support, and teaching and learning, the strategic plan aims to:
In order to achieve SPN-21, the Ministry of Education embarked on seven grand initiatives that lay the directions for its Education Strategy. These are (fig. 6)33:
The Brunei Technical Education Transformation strategic initiative led to the establishment of the Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) and Politeknik Brunei (PB). Under the auspices of the MoE, both public institutions strive to impart quality technical education that is in line with the demands of the industry. In addition, one of the main strategic decisions under the transformation initiative is to shift the supply-driven TVET system to the one that is demand-driven so that skilled graduates are easily absorbed by the industry.
The Ministry of Education (MoE) is the sole body responsible for overseeing education. Quality assurance, qualification framework, accreditation, certification, curricula development, and the like fall under its jurisdiction.
The organisational structure of the MoE is divided into core and higher education.8 TVET is placed under the purview of the higher education portfolio. As stated above, currently the two main public TVET providers that fall under the auspices of the MoE include - The Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) and Politeknik Brunei (PB).
In addition, government agencies from other TVET line ministries include the Centre for Capacity Building (Pusat Pembangunan Kapasati - PPK) under the purview of the Ministry of Energy and Industry (MEI), as well as the Youth Development Centre (Pusat Pembangunan Belia - PPB) under the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports (MCYS).
A national total budget of BND 5.3 billion was passed for the financial year 2018/2019.9 This is in line with the theme of ‘Productive and Innovative Expenditure to Maintain Nation’s Prosperity’ that focuses on five focal elements for its expenditure; these are10:
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is responsible for financing technical and vocational education and training. Besides the highest allocation of BND 900 million for National Development Plans for current and new projects, the MoE has been allocated BND 695.8 million - an increase of approximately BND 30 million from the previous financial year. This is the third highest allocation after the Ministry of Development (BND 807 million), and the Ministry of Finance (BND 747 million).9
With this budget allocation, the MoE aims to improve the quality of education, including teacher development at all levels - from primary through to higher education. This financial year, the MoE focuses on four priority areas11:
Moreover, out of its total budget, the MoE has assigned BND 14.7 million for projects in three technical education centres, 76 primary schools, 26 secondary schools as well as three sixth form centres.11
In 2009, the Ministry of Education (MoE) introduced a new educational system in Brunei Darussalam referred to as Sistem Pendidikan Negara Abad Ke-21 (SPN-21),5 or The National Education System for the 21st Century. Its main aims are to:
The SPN-21 (fig. 7)12 follows the ‘6-5-2 school system’, which comprises 6 years in primary school, 5 years in secondary school and 2 years in preparatory school. The first three years in the five-year secondary school and six-year primary school are compulsory. Nearly one-fourth of the student population joins university; it is also possible to accelerate and enter a university during the preparatory school years. Since 1984, English education (as a second language) is imparted in order to develop bilingual human resources.13,p179
Timeline:
1993: 12-Year Education Policy replaced the 9-Year Education Policy introduced in 1972. It stipulated every student to be provided with 12 years of education, 9 of which would be free. The new provision advocated 7 years in pre-school and primary, 3 years in lower secondary and 2 years in upper secondary.
1994: Brunei Darussalam embraced the concept of inclusive education.
1997: Special Education Policy was implemented. This policy made provision for the inclusion of students with special educational needs in mainstream schools.
2003: The new Education Order was promulgated with the aim of achieving an effective, efficient and equitable system of education that was in line with both, the national philosophy of a Malay Islamic Monarchy or Melayu Islam Beraja (MIB), and the needs of a modern, technological and ICT era.
2007: The enactment of the Compulsory Education Order mandated that every Bruneian child and those residing in this country above the age of six years who have not yet attained the age of 15 years receive compulsory education for at least nine years.
In order to meet the country’s manpower requirements and to sustain economic growth, the national education system of Brunei strives to be a dynamic one. Consequently, under the SPN-21, reforms are undertaken in the following areas (fig. 8)33:
Formal TVET System
TVET was formally introduced in Brunei Darussalam in 1970 with the formation of two trade schools, namely the Sekolah Pertukangan Bagunan (Building Trade School) in the Brunei-Muara District and the Sekolah Kejuteraan Kerajaan (Government Engineering School) in the Belait District. These schools offered UK-based craft programmes to meet the needs of Form Three leavers. The establishment of these schools marked the beginning of a separate TVET system and the growing importance of TVET in meeting the manpower requirements of the country.
TVET is embedded as part of the formal education system at two levels: secondary and post-secondary. At the secondary level, students are able to acquire basic technical and vocational skills only by joining the Applied Programme stream. The Institute of Brunei Technical Education and the Politeknik Brunei are the two major providers of post-secondary TVET in Brunei. Table 114 summarizes the TVET system in Brunei.
The technical education, however, is still in its transition phase. During this transition stage, programmes at various levels are being phased out and replaced by new ones15 (fig. 9).16 IBTE still offers the two-year BDTVEC Diploma (NQF Level 4). This diploma will be phased out soon and replaced by HNTec Programmes (NQF Level 4). Similarly, NTec Programmes will replace some of the Skill Certificate Programmes that are still on offer for the final intake next year. At Politeknik Brunei, the two-year Advanced Diploma programmes were phased out and replaced by the three-year Diploma Programmes in July 2015. Such changes reflect the current development of the technical education system in Brunei that began with the establishment of SPN-21 in 2008.
Furthermore, the transformation of Technical Education ensures multiple pathways (fig. 10)16 with clear progression opportunities for students in an effort to produce highly skilled human resources to support the nation’s economic development. This development is in response to the titah (royal address) made by His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam while welcoming the New Year 2013, urging for a re-evaluation of the technical and vocational education in the hopes of contributing to the needs of the industry and local job market.
Table 1: General Overview of TVET System in Brunei14
Type of programme |
Who are the major providers of this type of programme? |
What is the typical duration and how prevalent is this type of programme? |
What are the skill levels (low, intermediate, high) of the occupation that this type of programme covers? |
What is the balance between practical work, technical training and general education in this programme? |
Who is responsible for initiating, managing and ensuring quality of this type of TVET programme? |
Characteristics of learners in this type of programme? |
Do pathways between this and other programmes exist? If so, describe. |
Provider- based education and training provided by the formal education and training under the supervision of the Ministry of Education |
Secondary Schools |
1 – 1.5 years |
Low |
Mostly practical |
Internal QA, BDNAC and BDTVEC |
14 years old (Year 9), both male and female |
May apply to IBTE for further study upon graduation |
IBTE |
1 – 2 years |
Intermediate |
70% practical and 30% theoretical |
16-17 years old, both male and female, ‘O’ level graduates |
IBTE graduates may apply to PB for further study |
||
PB |
3 years |
Intermediate |
Mostly practical |
16-18 years old, both male and female, ‘O’ and ‘A’ level graduates |
PB graduates may apply to UTB for further study |
||
Provider- based education and training provided outside the formal education and training system for the public |
CET, IBTE |
6 – 50 hours |
Lifelong learning (life skills and community services) |
Mostly practical |
Internal QA |
School leavers and working adults |
|
Youth Development Centre, Arts and Handicraft Centre |
Short courses (up to 3 years) |
Intermediate |
Mostly practical |
Internal QA |
School leavers (17-18 years old) |
|
|
Workplace- based education and training |
Varies (depending on industry/ employers) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
As mentioned earlier, the two main public providers of TVET (under the purview of the MoE) include - The Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) and Politeknik Brunei (PB). However, other government-run TVET providers also exist, such as, the Centre for Capacity Building (Pusat Pembangunan Kapasati - PPK) under the Ministry of Energy and Industry (MEI), and the Youth Development Centre (Pusat Pembangunan Belia - PPB) under the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports (MCYS). Apart from this, some private institutions also run TVET programmes in the country.
Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE)
The Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) was established in 2014 with the merger of the Department of Technical Education (DTE) and seven technical and vocational schools nationwide as a part of the transformation of Brunei Technical Education initiative (fig. 11).33 As stipulated in the White Paper17 and Upgrading Plan18 of the Transformation of Brunei Technical Education, IBTE has repositioned itself as a post-secondary institution.
The following six changes6 have been initiated by IBTE in line with the transformation agenda (fig. 12):
Politeknik Brunei
The Politeknik Brunei (PB)19 was established in 2008, in response to the need to accelerate the country's human resources development, as emphasised by the National Development Plan (NDP) and Brunei Vision 2035. Politeknik Brunei’s establishment was particularly needed so that it could take over the role of the provider of ‘Higher National Diploma (HND)’ level technical programmes from Institut Teknologi Brunei (now known as Universiti Teknologi Brunei) after it was upgraded to a ‘University’ status.
A total of 9 Advanced Diploma programmes (with a total of 401 students) were on offer at PB’s inaugural intake. Today, the institution offers 21 programmes (with a total of 1550 students) that are conducted at 3 separate venues.
Centre for Capacity Building (Pusat Pembangunan Kapasiti - PPK)
Establishment of Pusat Pembangunan Kapasiti, PPK, or Centre for Capacity Building in 2017 is the government's new initiative that offers training for the citizens of Brunei to qualify for various jobs in the private sector including foreign direct investment companies. The centre, operated by the Ministry of Energy and Industry, is a multi-programme skills-training institution aiming to produce job-ready graduates by aligning training with industry developments and requirements in Brunei.
Courses offered by the PPK focus on giving youth an exposure to the professional world through industrial immersion. Based on a 10 per cent classroom-based theory and 90 per cent practical skills training format, the courses last 3 to 6 months (fig. 13). The delivery of the centre’s certified training programmes is conducted by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) based on approved syllabi adapted from international training or prominent industry institutions.
Youth Development Centre (Pusat Pembangunan Belia - PPB)
Established in 1996, the Youth Development Centre under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports provides skills and self-development training to Out-of-School youth. The Centre offers ten Certificate courses in the areas of Computer & Office Management, Cooking & Catering, Cake & Pastry, Basic Sewing & Knitting, Make-up & Hairdressing, Welding & Fabrication, Plumbing & Pipe Fitting, Vehicle Body Repair, and Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Maintenance.
Other
Several privately run institutions in Brunei also offer TVET programmes. Some prominent ones are:
Non-formal & Informal TVET System
The Continuing Education and Training (CET)21 under the IBTE is one of the main national providers of non-formal TVET that has been in existence since 1958. The IBTE CET offers short courses, programmes and workshops, which are designed to further encourage social/career mobility and education progression particularly for school leavers and mature students. In addition, it provides lifelong learning opportunities to adult learners allowing them to acquire further knowledge and skills in relevant fields.
Apart from this, the Youth Development Centre (Pusat Pembangunan Belia - PPB) also offers informal TVET programmes for the youth.
Brunei Darussalam Qualifications Framework (BDQF) (Table 2)22 is the qualifications framework for the country. It is established by the Ministry of Education through the Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council (BDNAC).
The BDQF has been stipulated in the Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council Order 2011 (BDNAC Order 2011). With reference to the BDNAC Order 2011, the BDQF is used as a tool to develop guidelines that classify qualification based on criteria agreed at the national level and benchmarked with international good practice.
The framework explains the level of learning, achieved learning outcomes of study areas, and a credit system based on student academic load. This criterion applies to all qualifications recognised in Brunei, thereby integrating and linking all qualifications recognised within the country.
Table 2: The Brunei Darussalam Qualifications Framework (BDQF)22
IBTE awards its own certificates at three levels of training namely:
Form Three (3) in pre-SPN-21 or Year 9 leavers of the SPN-21 System are eligible for the ISQ. For entry into the NTec Level 3, applicants must complete Year 11 secondary education (without necessarily having any credit O-Levels). A minimum of 3 credit O-Levels (in relevant subjects) is required to pursue HNTec Level 4.
Politeknik Brunei, on the other hand offers 3-year Diploma Programmes (NQF Level 5). This Diploma is equivalent to the Higher National Diploma (NQF - Level 5). Entry into Politeknik Brunei requires a minimum of 5-26 points and 5 credit O-Levels in relevant subjects. Progression from HNTec is possible with a merit performance. Entry into the Diploma in Health Science (NQF - Level 4) requires minimum of 4 credit O-Levels in relevant science subjects.
Under the auspices of the Ministry of Education (MoE), the following three accrediting and awarding agencies are responsible for quality assurance and standards in Brunei14:
The Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council Order 2011 (BDNAC Order 2011) is the legislation governing quality assurance that accredits higher education programmes and qualifications, supervises and regulates the equality and standards for higher education providers, and establishes and maintains the national qualifications register.
The formation of BDTVEC in May 1991 as the local and national awarding body for TVET qualifications has made the provision of TVET in Brunei more flexible and effective. However, with Brunei Technical Education Transformation and the establishment of IBTE and PB, the functions of BDTVEC are phasing out. Both IBTE and PB are now performing functions of the BDTVEC by awarding and validating national TVET qualifications.14,23
Additionally, TVET institutions have set up a division to look into Quality Management. This division is established to ensure that the Quality Management System (QMS) operating within the TVET institutions works effectively and efficiently. IBTE and PB obtained their ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS) certifications in 201624 and 201725 respectively.
The main functions of Quality Management Division are:
Furthermore, private Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) are allowed to offer foreign accredited programmes such as BTEC, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, National Craft Certificate, etc. Under the Energy Industry Competency Framework (EICF), the Energy and Industry Department at the Prime Minister's Office (EIDPMO), in collaboration with the MoE, has also set up a working group to overlook the Energy Industry Quality Assurance (EIQA) which would manage, monitor and audit the Quality Process and Standards for RTOs.
The most popular TVET courses amongst students are:
Graduates’ employment rate and employers’ satisfaction rate are the key performance indicators, which are particularly tracked by public TVET institutions.26 This information is only available at institutional level though. In case of IBTE for instance, Table 3 shows the employment rate of its graduates from 2015 to 2017:
Table 3: Employment rate of IBTE graduates for the period 2015-2017
Year |
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
*Employment Rate |
61.3% |
74.5% |
71.5% |
*Employment rate is the proportion of employment-seeking graduates (i.e. excluding graduates doing further studies) that are successfully employed, six months after the national convocation ceremony.
Since 2014, the Research and Statistics Division (RSD), IBTE has been conducting Employers’ Satisfaction Survey (ESS) on an annual basis. The purpose of this study is to identify the level of employers’ satisfaction with IBTE graduates. The study is conducted one year after graduation ceremony and targeted at the direct/immediate supervisors of graduates. In case of IBTE for instance, Table 4 shows the key findings of the ESS from 2015 to 2017.
Table 4: ESS response in relation to IBTE graduates for the period 2015-2017
Year |
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
No. of responses from industries |
237 |
208 |
134 |
Perception of TVET in Brunei |
|||
% agreed that IBTE is producing enough supply of TVET graduates to meet industrial needs |
65.4 |
83.2 |
66.4 |
% agreed that IBTE has been providing appropriate skills to its graduates |
68.4 |
82.2 |
78.4 |
[Source: Employers’ Satisfaction Survey 2017 - Institute of Brunei Technical Education]
The sector and occupations, which are financially rewarding are those related to oil and gas industries. While the median starting monthly salary for this sector is BND 700, for other sectors the median starting salary is BND 540. (Employment Study 2017 - Institute of Brunei Technical Education).
COMPOSITION
Essentially three groups of personnel work in TVET institutions in the country; these are a) school management, b) teachers/instructors, and c) support staff. Teachers/instructors form the largest group followed by support staff and school management respectively. The total number of teachers in 2016 amounted to 10,985 of which 516 were TVET teachers/instructors (Table 5).34
Table 5: Number of teachers and public schools during the period 2014-201634
TVET teachers consist of both locals, as well as expatriates. Local teachers are mainly recruited from fresh graduates with a minimum qualification that is at least one level higher than the level of the programmes they would teach. Hence, the basic qualification is Diploma Level 5 (formerly known as Higher National Diploma). Only a small proportion of the local TVET teachers have industrial experience.
With the aim to encourage industry experts to participate in teaching at the institutions, government-run institutions are currently proposing a special scheme of service for TVET teachers/instructors. Industrial experience would be one of the criteria for recruitment of future TVET teachers/instructors.
As far as remuneration is concerned, TVET teachers/instructors at government-run institutions are paid as per the public service salary scale that is described in the Teaching Service Scheme (Skim Perkhidmatan Guru, SPG). For indicative purposes, a TVET teacher/instructor who holds qualification Diploma Level 5 or equivalent would have a basic starting salary of BND 2,035 per month.
The 2016 study conducted by SEAMEO VOCTECH & GIZ RECOTVET27 to examine the development and implementation of teacher standard in Brunei revealed that:
TEACHER STANDARDS27
TVET teacher standards in Brunei Darussalam are currently under development. So far, Brunei has developed and implemented Brunei Teachers’ Standard (BTS) particularly for primary and secondary school teachers, which was officially launched in August 2014. The aim of the BTS is to ensure high quality of teaching that will eventually result in better learning outcomes for students. The Department of Schools Inspectorate together with the MoE spearheaded the development of the standard and its Teachers’ Performance Appraisal (TPA) system. Considering that the BTS is more suitable for general education, it may not be suitable for implementation by TVET institutions. Workplan is in progress to develop Brunei TVET Teacher Standard, which shall be aligned with the Regional TVET Teacher Standard.
TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Since most of the local TVET teachers are recruited prior to acquiring their teaching qualification, their training is based on the in-service model, in which the teacher’s qualification is acquired at university level within the first few years usually during the probationary phase of employment.
Consequently, Teachers’ Continual Professional Development (CPD) is provided through in-house training, short courses conducted locally and overseas, and industrial placement. Locally, CPD is led by different agencies under the purview of the MoE. Two key institutions are:28,29
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education (SHBIE)
SHBIE is a graduate school of education, as well as one of the major providers of continuous professional development for teachers. Education is offered in two main categories:
Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Advancement (ILIA)
ILIA of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) provides action-based continuing professional development for teachers and school leaders in terms of individual leadership, teacher leadership and school leadership trainings through its three-tier school leadership programmes. These programmes are designed for aspiring school teachers, and middle and senior school leaders.
With the launching of Brunei’s long-term development plan (Brunei Vision 2035), the private sector is increasingly being involved in the planning and implementation of development projects – including those relating to TVET.
The Ministry of Education’s grand initiative to transform and realign Technical and Vocational Education System to the demands of the various industries that support national economic development is indicative of the growing importance of private sector’s role in TVET.17 This is particularly the case for post-secondary TVET, where industry collaboration is needed in several areas, including curricula planning, development and implementation of apprenticeship schemes, provision of competency-based training and assessment. Under the competency-based arrangements, any assessments for students will need to be verified by the relevant industries.
Close collaboration with industries has been set up with the aim to produce a skilled and competitive workforce that is entrepreneurial, professional, highly employable, and possesses appropriate qualifications and industry-accredited skills. For instance, IBTE has established an ‘Industry Steering Committee’ that encompasses seven clusters: energy and engineering; business and financial services; hospitality and tourism; building construction, agro technology, Info-Communications Technology (ICT); and maritime.32
Through this initiative, greater opportunity will be available for post-secondary school students who are skilful and technically inclined to pursue TVET courses, and obtain gainful employment in the skill and technical sectors.30 This transformation is seen as more responsive and demand-driven with stakeholders pledging to commit by providing support in making the transformation a success.
Engagement by employers, employees and civil society in TVET can take various forms, including:
Labour Market: Employment is heavily concentrated in the services sector, particularly in public administration, wholesale and retail trade and education. In 2017, the labour force participation rate was 63.2%. The youth unemployment rate was 5.9% in 2016.31
Perceptions and Culture: TVET is considered a second option compared to general and higher education. There is a culture of training within firms in some industries. More employers are shifting focus from academic qualifications to skills and capacities.31
Promotion of TVET: TVET qualifications are being promoted more systematically. Efforts are being made to change the mind-set of society about the attractiveness of TVET and moves have been made towards making TVET qualifications more relevant to the job market.
Education and Training: The legal minimum school leaving age is 16. A total of 115,862 students were enrolled in pre-primary to tertiary education in 2015. Distribution of post-secondary (17-25 years old) students was:
Presently, Brunei faces the following TVET challenges:
21CTL | 21st Century Teaching and Learning |
A-Level | Advanced Level |
BDNAC | Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council |
BDQF | Brunei Darussalam Qualifications Framework |
BDTVEC | Brunei Darussalam Technical Vocational Education Council |
BND | Bruneian Dollar |
BPS | Banagian Pendidikan Swasta (Private Education Section) |
BTEC | Business and Technician Education Council |
BTS | Brunei Teachers’ Standard |
C&G | City and Guilds |
CCCT | Cosmopolitan College of Commerce and Technology |
CET | Continuing Education and Training |
CPD | Continual Professional Development |
DACUM | Developing a Curriculum |
DTE | Department of Technical Education |
EFA | Education for All |
EICF | Energy Industry Competency Framework |
EIDPMO | Energy and Industry Department at the Prime Minister's Office |
EIQA | Energy Industry Quality Assurance |
ESS | Employers’ Satisfaction Survey |
GIZ RECOTVET | Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit Regional Cooperation Programme to Improve the Quality and Labour Market Orientation of TVET |
HND | Higher National Diploma |
HNTec | Higher National Technical Education Certificate |
IBTE | Institute of Brunei Technical Education |
ICF | Industry Competency Framework |
ICT | Information and Communication Technology |
ILIA | Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Advancement |
ISO | International Organization for Standardization |
ISQ | Industrial Skills Qualification |
IT | Information Technology |
Kolej IGS | Kolej International Graduate Studies |
LCB | Laksamana College of Business |
LNCP | Literacy and Numeracy Coaching Programme |
KCB | Kensington College of Business |
KPI | Key Performance Indicator |
MCYS | Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports |
MEI | Ministry of Energy and Industry |
MIB | Melayu Islam Beraja (Malay Islamic Monarchy) |
MoE | Ministry of Education |
MPPU | Manpower Planning Unit |
NCC | National Computing Centre |
NDP | National Development Plan |
NOSS | National Occupational Skills Standards |
NQF | National Qualifications Framework |
NTec | National Technical Education Certificate |
O-Level | Ordinary Level |
OSPD | Outline Strategy Policy Directions |
PB | Politeknik Brunei (Polytechnic Brunei) |
PPB | Pusat Pembangunan Belia (Youth Development Centre) |
PPK | Pusat Pembangunan Kapasati (Centre for Capacity Building) |
QA | Quality Assurance |
QMS | Quality Management System |
RSD | Research and Statistics Division |
RTO | Registered Training Organisation |
SDG | Sustainable Development Goal |
SEAMEO | South East Asian Minister of Education Organisation |
SEAMEO VOCTECH | SEAMEO Regional Centre for Vocational and Technical Education and Training |
SHBIE | Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education |
SPG | Skim Perkhidmatan Guru (Teaching Service Scheme) |
SPN-21 | Sistem Pendidikan Abad Negara ke-21 (National Education System for the 21st Century) |
TPA | Teachers’ Performance Appraisal |
TVET | Technical and Vocational Education and Training |
UBD | Universiti Brunei Darussalam (University of Brunei Darussalam) |
UK | United Kingdom |
UTB | Universiti Teknologi Brunei (University of Technology Brunei) |
[1] MoE (Ministry of Education Brunei Darussalam). (n.d.). MOE Strategic Plan 2018-2022 [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.bn/DocumentDownloads/Ministry%20of%20Education%20Strategic%20Plan/MOE%20Strategic%20Plan%202018%20-%202022%20Layout.pdf [Accessed 20 Jun. 2018].
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[34] Department of Planning, Development and Research. (2017). Brunei Darussalam Education Statistics and Indicators Handbook 2012 - 2016. Brunei Darussalam: Ministry of Education.
0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)b
0.865 (2015)c
$12.74 billion (2017 est.)b
$78,200 (2017 est.)b
Agriculture: 1.2%
Industry: 56.5%
Services: 42.3% (2017 est.)b
% NAb
0.716 (2015)c
96.4% (2015)c
14.9 Years (2015)c
9.0 (2015)c
Data Not Available
Agriculture: 4.2%
Industry: 62.8%
Services: 33% (2008 est.)
a Population Pyramid
b CIA World Factbook
c UNDP HDR
For official government data on key indicators, please refer to data released by official government source(s).
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