The technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system in Brunei Darussalam is currently undergoing major restructuring, with the establishment of the Institute of Brunei Technical Education (IBTE) and launch of the ‘White Paper’ on transformation of TVET in May 2014. One of the aims of the reform is to ensure graduates are job-ready and employable, by shifting from being a supply-driven to a demand-driven system. Two key performance indicators (KPIs) have been identified to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the reform and the TVET system. The first KPI focused on the ‘employability rate’ of graduates, while the second KPI looked at employers’ level of satisfaction of graduates hired. This paper reports on an employment study (ES) and employers’ satisfaction survey (ESS) carried out by the Research and Statistic Division, IBTE.

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With greater socio-economic cooperation and integration in South-East Asia, mechanisms for fair and transparent recognition of qualifications are needed to facilitate learning and labour mobility. This need is recognised by the Government of Brunei Darussalam which has transformed the technical and vocational education and training in the country in response to the national and regional developments. This article explores the main characteristics of TVET in Brunei and quality assurance mechanisms currently in place in the qualification process in TVET, based on desk research, document analyses and interviews with key stakeholders. It also identifies strengths, key issues and areas of improvement in the current systems and provides suggestions for further developing effective and efficient quality assurance system for TVET qualifications in Brunei.

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