Having a university degree gives you an advantage when it comes to your career. However, not everyone is fortunate enough to pursue tertiary education after secondary school.
This could be due to various factors, such as familial obligations, insufficient funds, or simply a lack of interest. On top of which, up until the early 1990s, PTPTN loans did not exist; hence, most school leavers swiftly jumped into the workforce right after SPM.
Only after working for several years would they have realised that tertiary education and qualifications were crucial for new jobs, promotions, or greater success in their current position. But, by this stage, many of them might have believed it was too late to go back to tertiary education.
Recognising this, the Malaysian Qualifications Agency introduced the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) for all working adults who wish to study and obtain higher-education qualifications.
With APEL, one can pursue a diploma, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree while working full time. The assessment helps working adults obtain a university degree by recognising their work experience.
Manjit Singh and Syed Rashdan are both beneficiaries of APEL and are pursuing their tertiary education at Open University Malaysia (OUM). Manjit, 35, is pursuing his Master’s in Occupational Safety & Health Risk Management, while Syed Rashdan, 47, is pursuing his Bachelor of Occupational Safety and Health Management with Honours.
After SPM, Manjit completed a Diploma in Business Management before moving to health and safety. Since he didn’t require a degree back then, he focused on registering with the department of occupational safety and health, and getting the “green book” to enhance his market value.
This, however, only allowed him to reach a limited level in the industry. With nine years of experience in the industry, he used APEL to skip his degree and jump straight into the master’s programme.
“I’m seeking to move into managerial positions, and for that, a master’s qualification is necessary. So, once I found out about this opportunity with APEL, I decided to do it now,” he said.
Syed Rashdan, too, is thankful to APEL for helping him realise his dream of enrolling for a degree. He has obtained various certificates as well as three different diplomas: in production technology; multimedia; and vocational training management.
This means his current degree in health and safety is entirely unrelated.
Asked why he did not pursue higher education earlier, Syed Rashdan shared it was due to “low motivation, family commitments, and financial constraints”. After finding out about APEL, he knew this was his chance.
To meet the requirements, he compiled all his work experience into a portfolio and underwent several tests and assignments before getting the green light.
As a Technical and Vocational Education Training instructor with a degree, Syed Rashdan believes he can improve safety and health in government and private skills-training centres.
Manjit, meanwhile, was recently appointed as the safety and health environment manager at a new firm that recruited him after learning he is pursuing his master’s.
Both Syed Rashdan and Manjit believe their tertiary education will significantly help them in their careers, and they could not be more grateful to APEL for enabling them to do just that.
For more information on APEL, click here.
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