Building multidimensional courses for future workforces
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As economies in Asia-Pacific continue to flourish and develop, countries like Thailand and Vietnam find themselves in need of a larger cohort of competent, qualified professionals. According to global recruiter ManpowerGroup, Thailand lacks enough skilled workers to meet growing demand in the sales, information technology, engineering, business administration, accounting and manufacturing sectors.
Through its alignment with the expanding knowledge economy, Pearson is primed to offer educators and policymakers in the region the right tools to innovate their pedagogy and, for their learners, the skills required to thrive in today’s world.
The key is developing its Global Scale of English and professional qualifications: Pearson “really understands what the needs of the learner are, particularly in terms of the progression in their careers,” says Phil Myers, Pearson’s Head of International Product.
“It's incumbent on us to be absolutely clear in terms of what that progression and opportunity are, what the skills, knowledge and understanding are, and to make sure that we're really embedded with the employers in understanding what the elements of that progression route, so that we can make sure the courses are fully purposed.”
Tapping industry experts for insights
Pearson works with a pool of pedagogic and industry experts who are trained to understand course design and be responsive to their own research on a continuous basis. Alongside this specialist input, “a key priority for us is working in partnership with employers,” Phil says. Employers are, almost by definition, crucial to how vocational courses are structured, given that the skills learned are dictated by what they are looking for.
For this reason, Pearson has cultivated strong industry relationships to enhance the way its courses and qualifications are crafted, says Phil. “I think that partnership approach to designing courses is absolutely essential and it means that we can work very deeply with an employer and really make sure that employer needs are being met in course design.”
Jason Gregory, Pearson’s International Director, UK BTEC & Apprenticeships, agrees with that approach and underscores the role of education experts in bringing vocational training to the classroom and online. “We take all the information from the employer and interpret it and convert it into a course. That's an important part of what Pearson does with its partnership with employers.”
Practical, hands-on and career oriented
One of the main factors that sets Pearson’s qualifications apart is the emphasis on preparing learners for the world of work. As Phil explains, when designing coursework, the creators draw on their understanding of occupational standards from a range of international jurisdictions to better evaluate where best practices happen.
“We can help, advise and support employability from understanding that best practice and bringing best practice to bear in our courses. That's something which gives us a real advantage and they [learners] like that it’s available to them. It’s one of our core strengths,” he notes.
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Jason cites an example from Thailand, where the company worked with strategic partners, such as the Eastern Economic Corridor Development Unit, to give the course designers access to vital data. “They forecasted that they needed to recruit 465,000 workers over the next five years, with 60% being at technician level. So, that sort of data and information is essential for us to ensure that we're developing the courses in line with the needs of that particular country.”
The course designers also go to great lengths to ensure the material contains not just technical skills but soft interpersonal skills as well. These non-specific competencies which “employers are also looking for, really help you progress in your lives,” says Jason, adding problem solving, creativity and time management as examples.
Leveraging digital solutions
The Global Scale of English and professional qualifications suite is constructed around various types of digital assets, which in part help learners explore these workplace skills. The design is such that learners are not actively developing these professional capabilities, but rather absorbing them organically alongside the core materials.
“They’ll be asked for examples of leadership, examples of communication, and so on,” Phil says. “They're constantly thinking about how those workplace values are manifested in the workplace. And through our assessments they are required to draw on actual real-world examples within the workplace.”
The coursework, given its innovative basis, can capture considerable amounts of student progress data, which can then be fed back to stakeholders – teachers and trainers as well as learners themselves – to create a holistic monitoring environment, helping define learners’ areas of strengths and weaknesses. This enables these parties to personalise their learning further, by identifying additional course content to address any shortcomings.
“That's what we're helping to do with digital tools, to help personalise that learning through assessment and capturing data,” Jason says. “We're building a platform called Progress, which provides a portfolio to learners, because vocational assessment is not all about exams and tests, it's also about providing evidence that shows you're competent and capable of a certain skill or a task. I think that also helps the learners because they're building up that digital portfolio of skills to demonstrate to employers.”
‘At the front’ of course production
Pearson is committed to conceptualising future businesses in the new economy, especially in Southeast Asia, says Phil. That vision makes the company’s course offerings truly unique in the market.
“We’re at the front, we're at the cutting edge in terms of understanding economic development. If you take a Pearson course you can be confident that the research has happened, that the understanding is there,” he explains. “And because of our partners and our pedagogical understanding and recognition of our products, you can be confident you will have that understanding and being able to progress into a new role.”
For Jason, an added bonus is the way Pearson streamlines its multi-layered programmes into “bite-sized chunks, stackable credits”. This delivery style ensures the qualifications are more accessible to people who are striving to excel in Southeast Asia’s new economies.