MTD Final Graduation Presentation_Jacob for Sharing

An Apprenticeship Model for Developing ‘Competency’ Required for Trade Apprentices (Biopharmaceutical Process Technician(BPT))

In Singapore

Student: Jacob David PorantharapillyMaster of Training and Development, Griffith University

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Agenda

• The Background• The Problem and Analysis• Literature Review• Possible Solution for Improvements– The Solution: An Enhanced BPT Apprenticeship Curriculum

based on Cognitive Apprenticeship principles

• Justification and Challenges• Question and Answer


The Background


The Context

• Trade Apprenticeship as a ‘Learn-and-Earn’ scheme is accepted among some Industries in Singapore– E.g. Biologics Industry and the trade of BPTs

• Singapore’s Workforce development agency (WDA) with select Polytechnics’ have initiated ‘Biologics Skills Training program’ (BSTP) and a typical 24-month BPT Apprenticeship Competency-based training curriculum– Apprentices are mainly Chemical/Biopharmaceutical

Polytechnic graduating students.


Sample BPT Competencies (Bioscience careers, 2016)

• Knowledge of Biologics process.• Knowledge of Good Manufacturing/

Documentation practices (GMP/GDP).• Skills to work in clean room environments.• Skills on work safety.• Skills on sampling (e.g. Biohazardous materials).• Skills to operate various Biopharmaceutical

equipment's (Reactor/Fermenter)…..


ComplexBasic

The typical 24-month BPT Apprenticeship Curriculum

• Competency-based training (CBT); Assessment (CBA)– Process Workforce skills qualification (PWSQ)

• Conducted in a Polytechnic• Aimed at knowledge development• Conducted by Advanced certificate in training and assessment

(ACTA) qualified lecturers’.– On-the Job Training (OJT)

• Conducted in a host Biologics company• Aimed at skills development• Conducted by employees as Trainers; Not necessarily ACTA

qualified.– CBA: Successful assessment at the end of the program

makes an apprentice ‘Competent’.


CBA:(Typically 2 days) conducted in the Host Company: Makes an BPT apprentice ‘Competent’ or ‘Not yet competent’

The typical 24-month BPT Apprenticeship Curriculum (Cont’d)


Host Company CBT:OJT and aims at developing Skills;Curriculum uses OJT Courses meant for ‘New hired BPTs’ training; Trained by an employee as trainers’;Workplace affordances (Job aids, access to procedures) for training.

Competent

Novice

Apprenticeship duration in Months

1-3 4-24

Educational Institution CBT:Theory & Laboratory: Aims to develop knowledge;Lecturers’ are ACTA qualified.

Summary: The typical 24-month BPT Apprenticeship CBT Curriculum


First 3 Months

Subsequent 21 Months

Theory focused

Skills focused

24 Month

Work- Ready

competencies

The Problem and Analysis


The Problem


GRADUATING BPT GRADUATING BPT APPRENTICES’ DO NOT APPRENTICES’ DO NOT EXHIBIT ‘WORK-EXHIBIT ‘WORK-READY’ COMPETENCIESREADY’ COMPETENCIES

BIOLOGICS BIOLOGICS COMPANIES COMPANIES RELUCTANT TO RELUCTANT TO EMPLOY A EMPLOY A GRADUATED BPT GRADUATED BPT APPRENTICEAPPRENTICE

• Apprentices exhibit varying capabilities to perform BPT tasks• Apprentices exhibit lack of confidence

to perform learnt BPT tasks• Apprentices exhibit lack of

genralization and problem-solving skills

• Lacks independence/‘work-ready’ skills• Inability to perform similar but

different tasks• Reinvestment in re-learning; time and

resources Tasks if not performed accurately could affect the Parenteral Drug

(Medicines) Safety and Efficacy and GMP

Critical Analysis of the Problem• The BSTP program/BPT apprenticeship curriculum are

good initiatives to develop Talent for Biologics companies.– Meets stakeholders (WDA and Industry partners) intent– Addresses Nations Skills Future plan/employment pathways– National accreditation: Apprentice receive WSQ Higher

Certificate in Process Technology (Biologics): By WDA.

• However, there are shortcomings…– Curriculum not ideally aligned to address Apprentices need– Training focuses on teaching outcomes rather than learning

• Trainers and workplace affordances.


Critical Analysis of the Problem


Education and Experiences not Synergized

Critical Analysis of the Problem: Curriculum

• Reflects Traditional Apprenticeship approach– Learning tasks due to the demands of workplace/industry– No challenging tasks; affects confidence (Eraut, 2007)

• Mainly CBT– Outcome based; Consistency; Documentation significant– Learners limited to contextualize similarities and differences

(Bound, Rushbrook, & Sivalingam, 2014).• OJT not created for BPT Apprentices (Novices)– Meant for new hired BPTs; work considered training– Lacks depth when inappropriate pedagogical strategies are used

by Trainers; limited access to affordances (Billett, 2001).


Critical Analysis of the Problem: Trainers

• The PWSQ courses (conducted in a Polytechnic)– WSQ ACTA qualified lecturers are good initiatives– Employs pedagogical learning strategies

• The OJT courses (conducted in a host company)– Typically Non-ACTA qualified employee as Trainers

• Trainers not equipped with proper pedagogic learning strategies– E.g. Coaching, modelling, scaffolding etc.

• Lacks an understanding of Learning styles and Learner Preferences

– Trainers tacit knowledge not shared/Unaware to share• Trainers unaware to access required workplace affordances.

– Trainers see assessment leading to ‘Competent’ as priority.

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Critical Analysis of the Problem: Workplace Affordances

• Restricted affordances creates restricted learning environment affecting learners acquiring broader skills/‘work-ready’ skills– Access to workplace systems (e.g. Learning management

system and GMP deviation reports); procedures; knowledge-sharing forum.

• Articulates division of labour and distribution of opportunities to participate in work and learning.


Literature Review


Literature Review: Apprenticeship

• Apprenticeship: A structured learning where Experts help novice Apprentices acquire ‘competence’ in a trade (Collins, 2006; Dennen, 2004).

• Traditional Apprenticeship – Tasks not arising from pedagogical concerns– Limited teaching outcomes/Not broad-based (Collins, 2006).

• Cognitive Apprenticeship (Collins, 2006; Dennen, 2004; Dennen & Burner, 2008)– Tasks and problems sequenced to the learning demands– Generalizes knowledge/application to different settings.


Literature Review: ‘Novice’ and ‘Competent’ Stage’s of Development• Novice: Learners have no experience on what they are

expected to perform and are taught on ‘context-free features and rules’;

• Competent: Learners are able to set goals and able to comprehend the situation in terms of what is needed to achieve those goals (Dreyfus & Dreyfus, 1980).– Most workers (Clinical Nurses) acquire a ‘competent’ stage

to perform on similar work situations within 24 to 36 months (Benner, 1984).


Literature Review: Curriculum

• Intended: Exactly what stakeholders intent should happen when curriculum is implemented;

• Enacted: What happens when curriculum is enacted;• Experienced: What learners experience, construe

and learn as a result of its enactment (Billett, 2006).– Learners are meaning makers/experience differently/level

of effort (Smith & Keating, 2003).


Literature Review: Trainers

• Trainers/Experts increases apprentices competency by sequencing learning and making connections between work and institution (Collins, 2006).

• Trainers, however could be seen as mere curriculum “Implementers” (Print, 1993) when work is seen more important rather than training.


Literature Review: Workplace Affordances

• Access to meaningful workplace affordances aids in reinforcing, refreshing and generating new forms of knowledge (Billett, 2001).– E.g. OJT Job aids– Apprentices equipped with “Restricted knowledge and

skills affects competency development” (Moore, 2004) in an occupation.


Literature review: Curriculum (Cont’d)

• CBT: “everyone receives the same learning experience to reach the outcomes, no matter how different the settings and groups of learners” – Learners do not have capacity to identify similarities and

differences between contexts because theoretical constructs are invisible for learners in CBT (Bound, Rushbrook, & Sivalingam, 2014).

• OJT lack teaching depth when inappropriate pedagogic strategies are employed– Limited access to experts and affordances (Billett, 2001).


Possible Solutions for Improvements


Possible Solution for Improvement (Educational Institution learning)

• Continue with PWSQ courses in Polytechnics but link to sequential/progressive workplace OJT learning– Implement a Dual-system/Two-fold approach

• Separate theoretical knowledge into ‘Basic’ and ‘Advanced’ interjected with workplace attachment learning into ‘Fundamentals’ and ‘Complex’ learning tasks

• Utilize projects/Problem-based assignments• Sequence ‘Advanced’ and ‘Complex’ learning to later stages of the

curriculum– Espouses situational learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991).

– Many Educational-institution has adopted such practices (Problem-based learning) based on authentic work contexts (Etelapelto, 2008)


Possible Solution for Improvement (Company OJT learning)

• Create structured; progressive learning environment– Create specific OJT CBT courses/‘Basic’ and ‘Complex’ tasks

• Use existing OJT job aids already available for New-hires (BPT).

• Develop ‘Trainers’ to become ACTA qualified Trainers – ACTA enables application of various pedagogic learning strategies

(Willmott & Karmel, 2011)• Trainers equipped with pedagogic learning strategies are well-equipped to

meet the needs of diverse learners– E.g. Coaching, modelling, scaffolding etc.

• Support unrestricted affordances for learning– Apprentices become part of workers community (Lave & Wenger

1991).


Possible Solution for Improvement (Competency-based Assessment)

• Create formal workplace assessment to assess explicit knowledge (Bound & Lin, 2011).

• Adopt ‘Absolute/Relative grading’ of Competency-based assessment (Gronlund & Waugh, 2009)

• Enables grading in terms of student performance without reference to others performance • Enables company’s to select graduated BPT apprentices

to suit different job roles/workplace tasks.


Possible Solution for Improvement (Stakeholders’)

• Include Apprentices (representatives) to design their ‘Learning curriculum’.– Trend concurred by organization and work communities

(workers, managers and trainers) (Etelapelto, 2008)– Alignment of Intended>Enacted>Experienced curriculum.

• Move from Traditional apprenticeship approach– Explore Cognitive apprenticeship approaches and

principles to enhance the typical 24-month BPT apprenticeship curriculum model

– Content>Method>Sequencing>Sociology (Collins, 2006)1. Tasks and problems sequenced to the learning demands;2. Generalizes knowledge/application to different settings.


Literature: Cognitive Apprenticeship (Collins, Brown & Newman, 1989)

• Cognitive Apprenticeship: Learning tasks sequenced to reflect demands of changing learning needs.



Literature: Cognitive Apprenticeship Principles (Collins, 2006)

Literature: Cognitive Apprenticeship Concepts (Collins & Burner, 2008)

• Situatedness– Active learning that takes place via one’s participation in an

authentic task or setting (Lave and Wenger, 1991).

• Legitimate peripheral participation– A newcomer who primarily observes is considered a legitimate

peripheral participant.

• Guided participation– It is the social element of cognitive apprenticeship

• Membership in a community of practice– Cognitive apprenticeships often naturally occur within a

community of practice.


Literature: Traditional vs Cognitive Apprenticeship

Traditional Apprenticeship Cognitive ApprenticeshipJob determined by tasks Learning determined by goalPhysical skills and processes Cognitive and metacognitive

processesTasks performed by observation Tasks performed by reasoningLearning by doing Learning by problem solvingLearning from modelling, coaching and fading

Learning from modelling, coaching, fading, articulation, reflection and exploration

Simple tasks Complex tasks

03/05/23 s2963405 Contemporary Issues in Adult and Vocational Education 31Enables Expert’s Tacit Knowledge Explicit

The Proposed Solution: An Enhanced BPT Apprenticeship

Curriculum Model


Basis of the Solution• An apprenticeship model that develops ‘competent’

BPT Apprentices’ with ‘work-ready’ competencies within a 24-month period.

• Guiding thoughts to develop this ‘Ideal’ curriculum: – My experiences as an Apprentice (1982); and– A Framework for Cognitive apprenticeship.

• Beneficiaries: – Biologics and Pharmaceutical company’s– Company trainers’ through ACTA certification– Polytechnic students/Young adults– The Nations ‘SkillsFuture’ plan/Singapore CET 2020.


The BPT Apprenticeship Model


Host Company CBT:Classroom &OJTSimple tasksWork related Lab tasks

Competent

Novice

Apprenticeship duration in Months

1-3 4-9

Educational Institution CBT:Basic Theory Laboratory

Educational Institution CBT:Advanced Theory Advanced Lab based assignments

Host Company CBT:OJTComplex tasksPerform simple tasks independentlyPerform Lab tasks independently

AssessmentCBA:Graded assessment in presence of EI and Co Reps.Perform a ‘Batch’ as a team with other BPTs.(Independently)

10-12 13-23 24

Note: Benner’s suggested duration in reaching a ‘competent’ stage is used as a guidance for apprenticeship period (e.g. 24-month) and not to justify BPTs apprentices’ ‘competent’ stage.

Justification and Challenges


Justification

• An apprenticeship curriculum that synergise education and experience

• Adopts cognitive apprenticeship principles– Apprentices learn by observing, engaging, and discovery

• Dedicated BPT apprenticeship curriculum enables specific Training and Assessment (T&A)

• Advocates ACTA qualified trainers’ for OJT; T&A– Apprentices able to learn from ACTA qualified trainers

equipped with various pedagogical learning strategies– Modeling, Coaching, Scaffolding.


Justification (Cont’d)

• Graduating ‘Competent’ Apprentice may know their ‘competencies’ (strengths and limitations) – Students experience success early in the program

• Provides motivation and improved confidence

• Biologics companies could rely on graduating ‘competent’ Apprentices with work-ready skills– Do not have to reinvest in already learnt competencies

• Model can be adapted to other industries apprenticeship curriculum.


Challenges

• Stakeholders ‘Buy-in’– Curriculum CBT

• Creating Basic and Advanced and Complex task-based CBT courses and a “Lengthy Graded CBA” as part of the curriculum

– Polytechnic and host Company’s need to accommodate the “Phased and Incremental training” structure• Polytechnic Lecturers and ACTA qualified Trainers availability

– Workplace affordances for learning• Unrestricted to Employees as well as Apprentices

– Approval of the Curriculum/Courses by WSQ for accreditation.


Challenges (Cont’d)

• Trainers– Unwillingness to become ACTA qualified– ‘Consonant’ and ‘Dissonant’ curriculum users

• Adopt Machiavellian tactics to resist / undermine the new curriculum (Marsh, 2004)

• Apprentices– Graduating apprentices could face difficulty in gaining

employment due to graded outcomes– Ineffective feedback on learning experiences

• Trainers/Company’s ineffectiveness; Fear of retribution• Curriculum courses inappropriateness.


Evaluation: Assessing the Model’s Effectiveness

• Stakeholders regular Audit of the program• Evaluation/Feedback reports (Kirkpatrick, 1975)– Apprentices

• Experienced curriculum– Lecturers and Trainers

• Enacted curriculum• ACTA and its benefits

– Biologics companies who have hired these graduated apprentices as BPT employees• Company Managers and Trainers observing their work activities • Level 4 or Return on Investment (ROI)


Summary: The BPT Apprenticeship Model

• A Sequential and progressive learning curriculum– Basic and advanced and complex (knowledge and skills) learning

(Dual system with a two-fold approach)– Students experience success early in the program

• Provides motivation and improved confidence

– Empowers Trainers to use appropriate pedagogical learning strategies to teach novice apprentices

– Empowers Company’s to provide Resources/workplace affordances to enable apprentices meaningful learning

– Graded assessment enhances reliable performance assessment.


Question and Answer


End

ReferencesBenner P. (1984). From Novice to Expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice. Menlo

Park, CA: Addison Wesley.

Billett, S. (2001). Learning through work: Workplace affordances and individual engagement. Journal of Workplace Learning, 13(5), 209-214.

Billett, S (2006). Constituting the workplace curriculum, Journal of Curriculum Studies, 38(1), 31-48

Billett S. R., & Choy, S. C. (2013). Learning through work: emerging perspectives and new challenges. Journal of workplace learning. 25(4), 264-276.

Bioscience careers. (2016). North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research. Retrieved from http://www.aboutbioscience.org/careers/processtechnician


http://www.aboutbioscience.org/careers/processtechnician

ReferencesBound H., & Lin, M. (2011). Singapore workforce skills qualification (WSQ), Workplace learning and

assessment (Stage1). Centre for Work and Learning. Institute for Adult Learning. Singapore.

Bound, H., Rushbrook, P. & Sivalingam, M. (2014). What is Quality Curriculum? Programme Design, Delivery and Management in Singapore’s Diploma in Adult and Continuing Education. Centre for Work and Learning. Institute for Adult Learning. Singapore.

Collins, A. (2006). Cognitive Apprenticeship. in R. Sawyer (Ed.). The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences. New York: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 4, pp.47-60.

Dennen, V. (2004). Cognitive apprenticeship in educational practice: research on scaffolding, modelling, mentoring and coaching as instructional strategies. In D.H. Jonassen (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology, pp. 812-828.

Dreyfus, S. & Dreyfus, H. (1980). A five stage model of the mental activities involved in directed skills acquisition. Operations Research Centre. California: University of Berkeley.


ReferencesEraut, M. (2007). Learning from other people in the workplace. Oxford Review of Education, 33(4), 403-422. Etelapelto, A. (2008). Perspectves, prospects, and progress in work-related learning. In S. Billett, C. Harteis

& A. Etelepelto (Eds). Emerging perspectives of workplace learning. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, Chapter 15, pp. 233-247.

Fuller, A. & Unwin, L. (2004). Young people as teachers and learners in the workplace: challenging the novice-expert dichotomy. International Journal f Training and Development, 8(1), 32-42.

Gronlund , N. E. & Waugh, C. K. (2009). Assessment Student Achievement, 9th Ed. Pearson, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Columbus, Ohio.

Lave, J. & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning – legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Marsh, C. (2004). Curriculum implementation. In Key concepts for understanding curriculum. Pp.65-75. London: Routledge/Falmer


ReferencesMoore, D. (2004). Curriculum at work: an educational perspective on the workplace as a learning

environment. Journal of Workplace Learning, 16(6), 325-340.

Print, M. (1993). Curriculum development and design. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.

Smith, E. & Keating, J. (2003). From training reform to training packages. Tuggerah, NSW: Social Science Press.

Willmott, G. & Karmel, A. (2011). The WSQ: A Retrospective, Reflections on the development, implementation and future of Singapore’s CET system: Singapore: Institute for Adult Education.

Winkelmann, R. (1996). Employment prospects and skill acquisition of apprenticeship-trained workers in Germany. Industrial & labor relations review, 49(4), 658-672.

Temasek Polytechnic. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.tp.edu.sg/boost


http://www.tp.edu.sg/boost

MTD Final Graduation Presentation_Jacob for Sharing

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