UMT leads bold push to upskill future-ready tourism lecturers

KUALA TERENGGANU: In a strategic drive to elevate the standards of tourism education nationwide, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) has wrapped up a three-month Professional Certification Programme in Tourism Management, POLIKK-UMT, designed to upskill technical and vocational (TVET) educators.

AI Brief

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) completed a three-month Professional Certification Programme in Tourism Management to upskill TVET educators.
The programme included micro-credential certifications and was supported by various industry partners to ensure practical relevance.
The initiative aims to empower educators with cutting-edge skills and industry-relevant knowledge, enhancing the tourism education landscape.

Held from 25 November 2024 to 27 February 2025, the programme brought together 11 accomplished lecturers from polytechnics and community colleges across Malaysia, positioning them at the forefront of tourism industry transformation.

Now in its third edition, the programme was spearheaded by UMT LIFE Centre and reflects the Ministry of Higher Education’s continued trust in UMT’s capability to drive high-impact, career-relevant training.

It also reinforces national commitments to lifelong learning, while supporting the transformation of Malaysia’s TVET curriculum to meet the evolving demands of a tech-driven tourism sector.

Throughout the 95-day programme, participants immersed themselves in a series of rigorously tailored modules that combined both theory and hands-on practice.

The curriculum included micro-credential certifications such as the Local Nature Tourism Guide Course (Level 2), Malaysia-Friendly Tourism Course, and the Muslim Tourism and Hospitality Course.

Each module was designed to establish reskilling and upskilling, enabling mid-career educators to stay flexible in a tourism industry, increasingly shaped by digital innovation and sustainability goals.

The participants' high level of engagement reflected a strong intrinsic motivation and commitment to growth across cognitive, metacognitive, and humanistic domains.

This precise training contributed to their potential fulfillment as valuable assets in the national TVET and tourism education landscape.

A key strength of the programme was its strategic collaboration with industry partners. Support from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), and Cert Academy Sdn Bhd helped ensure that training modules reflected real-world standards and industry expectations.

The involvement of expert trainers from various sectors added valuable depth to the participants’ learning journey.

This partnership between academia and industry was central to the programme’s high impact and practical relevance. Moreover, it underscored UMT’s role as a leading provider of professional development in tourism education.

In the context of Industry 4.0 and rapid globalisation, such collaborations are essential for building a dynamic, responsive, and future-proof education system.

Ultimately, the POLIKK-UMT initiative stands as a shining example of how higher education institutions can empower educators to become change agents.

More than just a training programme, it equipped participants with cutting-edge skills, industry-relevant knowledge, and a renewed commitment to lifelong learning.

The positive impact of the programme is expected to ripple across their home institutions and the wider tourism sector. With strong support from strategic partners and passionate educators, UMT has once again proven its role as a catalyst in developing high-quality human capital for the tourism industry, both in Malaysia and beyond.