IPOH, Nov 6 (Bernama) — Ungku Omar Polytechnic (PUO) has officially been recognised as the first polytechnic in Malaysia to be appointed as an Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) Assessment Centre (PPA) by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).
PUO, in a statement, said the recognition was announced during the Festival of Ideas Putrajaya (FOI) 2025, in Putrajaya yesterday.
The event was officiated by MQA chief executive officer Prof Datuk Dr Mohammad Shatar Sabran and attended by the Department of Polytechnic Education and Community Colleges director-general Dr Shamsuri Abdullah.
According to the statement, the appointment marks a strategic step towards broadening access to higher education while strengthening the country’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ecosystem through the APEL approach.
“Through PUO’s PPA, candidates will not only be assessed through APEL.A (entry route to higher education for those without academic qualifications), but will also receive guidance in identifying the strengths of their experience and translating them into knowledge that aligns with academic requirements.
“This initiative is also in line with the government’s aspiration to make the TVET pathway a preferred choice that is inclusive, flexible, and progressive, at the same time contributing to greater social mobility among Malaysians,” the statement said.
With the appointment, PUO now stands at the forefront of advancing holistic education that recognises the people’s actual abilities, and strengthening the Malaysia MADANI aspiration within the national higher education landscape, the statement added.
Meanwhile, Shamsuri, in the same statement said the implementation of APEL at PUO is a recognition of the institution’s capability to conduct assessments professionally, systematically, and with integrity.
“APEL offers opportunities for individuals with work experience but without formal academic qualifications to pursue higher education based on their real-life experiences. This is what lifelong learning truly means,” he said.
— BERNAMA
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