A business development plan to increase marketing effectiveness of Tech Terrain College in Malaysia.
A Major Project prepared by,
Prahsanna Raja Ratnam 0214MWYMY1015
Master of Business Administration Cardiff Metropolitan University
12th June 2017
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Overview of Tech Terrain College Tech Terrain College (TTC) is a technical vocational college founded in 2002 to provide quality education to young individuals in demand driven courses. The company is an accredited centre under the Ministry of Human Resources through the Department of Skills Development (DSD). It‟s main focus is in the delivery of technical, vocational education and training (TVET).
The company‟s vision is “to be internationally sought after for our education that works‟ and this vision is further elaborated by their mission statement; “We make our vision possible by offering a range of high-demand niche courses which satisfy 4 parties; industry, student, parent, and our shareholders by ensuring we maintain our hands-on learning methodology and 100% employment rate.
TTC was founded on a vision to up-lift deserving young individuals from all walks of life,
irregardless of their race or religion. Students are handpicked and put through a gruelling
interview process to ensure their commitment to the betterment of their future. Students are
chosen based on their attitude & school attendance rather than their school academic results.
This allows deserving students a second chance to pursue higher education even if they have
not performed well in their Sijil Pembeajaran Menengah (SPM). These courses are currently
being offered to students aged 18 to 30 after their high school SPM certifications.
TTC‟s main promise is the delivery of “Industry Driven Diplomas”. The company boasts a 100% job guarantee which is delivered through their Work Placement Department. This department works closely with industry partners who not only contribute to the tweaking of the curriculum to ensure industry relevant course materials are being delivered, but also open their door to the students through internships, industry tours and job placements.
The company is a family run business with the two co-founders and their two older children who are now junior directors, as their successors. It currently employs a staff size of 65 staff
and has a student population of 911 local students. The company runs out of 7 shoplot buildings in USJ 1 and has recently acquired a Shah Alam location for expansion.
The company‟s main focus for the past decade has been in skills education. 95% of the students enrolled in TTC are funded via Perbadanan Tabung Pembangunan Kemahiran (PTPK). The focus of their courses has been in high demand niche courses that allow their students to be highly employable.
Although TTC is still a relatively smaller organization in the industry, the company is focused on quality and in an ISO 9001:2008 certified organization. It was also awarded a 5 Star college status by the Department of Skills Development during its last audit. The college is also the first Scottish Qualifying Authority (SQA, UK) accredited centre to deliver Scottish higher national diploma programs.
TTC focuses on 4 niche diploma programs which are Mould Making, CAD/CAM Design
Engineering, Freight Forwarding and Retail Management. These areas have been specifically
chosen due to their high demand in industry and importance shown in the Malaysian
Economic Blueprint under the National Key Economic Areas. All TTC courses are certified
by the Department of Skills Development under the Human Resource Ministry of Malaysia.
1.2 Business opportunity for TTC
Economic growth has fundamentally changed the composition and distribution of Malaysia‟s
labor force over the past 25 years. Our labor force that was predominantly agrarian and rural
has become increasingly urban and industrial. This has lead to a massive shortage in technical
skilled manpower (Gross, 1997).
Maturing economies like Malaysia often face this problem. The educational systems, which
are highly academically skewed, cannot produce enough skilled people to fill the positions
created by rapid economic growth. As mentioned before, the sector suffering major
consequences of this is manufacturing companies who are finding that they have to hire
foreign workers to fill the gaps. This leads to higher unemployment amongst locals and
higher spending for the companies who have to foot the bills that come along with hiring
foreigners with high skill sets (Bernama, 2010). Although skilled human resources are the
primary asset of many countries in the region, an inadequately educated workforce is still
among the most problematic factors for doing business in many countries in Asia and the
Pacific ( (Pavlova, 2014)
TVET has been identified as a critical enabler for the success of the Economic
Transformation Programme (ETP) in Malaysia, with nearly one million jobs requiring
vocational certificated or diplomas. Several initiatives have been introduced to raise the
quality of TVET offerings and to ensure the programmes are in line with industry needs and
requirements. Additional funds have been allocated to the Skills Development Fund
(Perbadanan Tabung Pembangunan Kemahiran – PTPK), giving more students the
opportunity to undertake TVET programmes in private skills training institutes by the year
2020. (MIDA, 2017)
The government has also declared 2017 as technical and vocational education and training
(TVET) year in an effort to achieve a high-income developed nation by 2020. This is in line
with the RM 4.6 billion being skewed to TVET institutions in the Prime Ministers budgets
speech this year. This allocation is encourage Malaysians to enter the TVET field to increase
the country‟s skilled workers from the current 28% to 35% by the year 2020 ( (Borneo Post,
2017).
Due to these government incentives and increase in focus, now would be the best time for a
company like TTC to take advantage of the current situation by increasing their marketing
and branding exercises.
1.3 Purpose and rationale
TTC‟s marketing team consist of 5 executives who are led by the company‟s junior director. The team
works on a minimal budget and there has been no extra funding that has been allocated to the team
since 2015 when the team leader decided to move into Facebook marketing. The team has thus far
been working on a minimal budget of RM 5000 per month.
The majority of the marketing done at TTC is through the direct marketing method where a one-to
one relationship is established with the customer (Murthy, 2007).
School counsellors are approached and they are given an incentive in form of a commission to
identify students who are more skewed towards TVET. TTC‟s marketing team then sends the students
an “invitation letter” where the student and parent are invited to a preview session. During these
sessions, the parents and students were given more information about TTC and if they are interested,
they would sign up.
In 2010, TTC‟s team managed to get a “non-objection letter” from the Education Ministry. This letter
allowed the team to go into any school across the country to promote TVET and, by association, their
courses. As such, the intake numbers slowly began to grow as TTC no longer had to depend on school
counsellors. They were able to attend school career days, invited to school events and even advertised
in the school magazines.
The data collected at these events is then be transferred into a list which the team tackles through
different forms of direct marketing such as telephone calls, emails and text messages.
In 2015, with the growth of the TTC Facebook page, the marketing requested for an increased budget
of RM 2000 to spend on Facebook advertising. With this, the landscape of TTC‟s marketing
drastically changed.
Malaysia‟s social media penetration is one of the best in South East Asia at 59% (WeareSocial,
2016). A study done by Pricewaterhouse Coopers further reports that a whopping 45% of consumers
are influenced by reading comments, reviews and feedback online before making a purchase
(Pricewaterhouse Coopers, 2017).
With the introduction of Facebook marketing, the company marketing approach has drastically
changed. Sales have increased and student intake numbers have increased to match. However, with
the focus of the Malaysian government being on TVET, it is crucial that TTC focuses on increasing
its marketing effectiveness.
The main purpose of this paper is to elicit solutions and make recommendations to ensure the
midterm (3 year) marketing effectiveness of TTC.
The significance of the project becomes apparent while considering TTC‟s growth
opportunities that should be taken advantage of through marketing exercises.
1.4 Terms of reference
1.4.1 Research questions
This paper will focus on four aspects; market, competition, marketing and operations. As such, the four research questions are as follows:
1) What are the market aspects to consider in improving the marketing effectiveness of TTC? How would these identified market trends, growth and outlook affect TTC?
2) What are the current marketing practices being observed by TTC‟s competitors?
3) What is the outcome of TTC‟s current marketing mix? What is the current socio demographics of the students who have enrolled in TTC and why have they chosen the college? Which were the main sources of information they used to gain knowledge about TTC?
4) How do the current operations of TTC affect the marketing effectiveness of TTC?
1.4.2 Research objectives
The objectives of this paper are as follows:
1) To study the market aspects such as trends, growth and outlook affecting the marketing
effectiveness of TTC in Malaysia.
2) To compare the current practices of TTC‟s competitors.
3) To understand the outcomes of TTC‟s current marketing mix and further understand the
profile of the students who choose TTC.
4) To analyse the current operations of TTC and to use this analysis to propose methods to
enhance the marketing effectiveness of TTC in Malaysia.
1.4.3 Research Framework
As previously mentioned, this study will focus on four aspects of TTC. This is further
summarized in the framework below:
Marketing effectiveness of TTC in Malaysia
Market
Competition
Marketing
Operations
2.0 Business Review
2.1 Market Environment
To better understand the business environment TTC is in, we use the PEST analysis
framework. This tool allows is to better understand the “big picture” forces of change the
company is exposed to, and from this, come up with ways to take advantages of the
opportunities they present ( (Marmol, 2015).
2.1.1 Political
TVET is one of the game changers in the 11th Malaysia Plan to meet industry demand and
contribute towards economic growth in view of globalisation, the knowledge economy,
technological advances and global labour mobility (Mustafa, 2016).
Under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), Malaysia will require a 2.5 fold
increase in TVET enrolment by 2025. A severe undersupply of TVET workers threatens the
development of the National Key Economic Areas (NKEA). TVET is still seen as an inferior
pathway compared to academic education limiting the number of students who apply for
these courses. Malaysia needs to move from a higher education system with a primary focus
on university education as the sole pathway to success, to one where academic and TVET
pathways are equally valued and cultivated (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, 2015).
Vision 2020 is a target set by the Malaysian government to become a developed country with
a high income economy. As set by the World Bank, the country‟s Gross Net Income would
have to hit a per capita of USD 15,000 by the year 2020. To realise this ambitious goal, the
Malaysian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would have to grow at an average of 6% per
annum until 2020. To realise the ambition of becoming a high-income economy, Malaysia
will need to have a workforce that is equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to
support and drive the economy. The Malaysian Economic Transformation Programme
expects to create up to an additional 3.3 million jobs by 2020. (Vocational, 2013)
To successfully try to achieve Malaysia‟s 2020 target, it is important to develop, attract and
retain a first-world talent base. Higher education qualifications promote knowledge
generation and innovation, high skills levels in both technical and professional fields and a
strong level of productivity. (Vocational, 2013) The figure below shows a comparison
between first world countries and Malaysia in terms of workforce.
Figure 1 - Comparison between labours forces (Malaysia vs first world nations)
As seen in the figure above, Malaysia has an alarmingly low rate of skilled manpower at only
28.7% when compared to our first world neighbour Singapore who has the highest percentage
of skilled workforce; 51%.
To increase the interest and hopefully the number of Malaysians entering skilled pathways,
the government has named 2017 as the „TVET year”. The emphasis is to change the
perception of Malaysians that TVET is no longer a second class choice.
As stated in the Education Blue Print (2015-2025), to achieve these outcomes, the
government has pledged to undertake several initiatives.
Amongst the key initiatives are to enable industry to lead curriculum design and delivery
through new partnership models and lifting the quality of delivery through increased
apprenticeship, hands-on training, real-life simulations, and specialised employer training
programmes. In involving the industry in the development of curriculum, this will ensure
what is being taught is precisely what is being demanded in the markets. This will result in
demand driven courses which are on the right track to training a skilled workforce (Amiron,
2014).
The three vertical pathways (academic, TVET and skills) under the Malaysian Qualifications
Framework will also be reduced to two (academic and TVET). Inefficiencies, overlaps and
deficiencies will be addressed by eliminating low impact and overlapping programmes of
different TVET providers (Mustafa, 2016). This will allow for greater specialisation, improve
cost efficiencies and streamline the national framework.
The plan also includes alignment with major industry associations, and pursuing international
accreditations for TVET programmes.
In Wave 3 of the Education Blueprint, it is also clearly stated that the government is meant to
complete the rebranding of TVET to achieve a dual-pathway higher education system where
academic and TVET pathways are equally valued (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, 2015).
This is to enable them to hit their target of an increase of 5.1% enrolment in private higher
learning institutions and 2.6% in public universities in the TVET field (Kementerian
Pendidikan Malaysia, 2015).
The Ministry of Human Resources has pledged to work together with the alumni of TVET
schools to increase public awareness. As many of the alumni are successful, the idea is to use
them as examples to promote the pathway (Aubrey, 2017).
Based on these initiatives by the government, it can be said that these changes in policies are
a great opportunity for TTC and a perfect time to be increasing its marketing and branding
exercises.
2.1.2 Economic The inadequately educated labour force of Malaysia has become the main obstacle to
business operations and growth. Businesses in Malaysia, including SMEs, face increasing
difficulties in recruiting and retaining skilled workers at the technical, supervisory and
managerial levels (Council, 2012).
A severe mismatch between what is needed by the market and what is being taught to
students worsens the situation. More than 40% of firms have reported vacancies for skilled
production worker positions, and the average time required to fill a vacancy is about four
weeks (The World Bank, 2009). Basic skills or technical abilities were the main reason given
for the delay in recruitment.
A survey by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) in 2008 shows that about a quarter of
graduates of university and colleges remained unemployed six months after completion of
their studies. For those who secured jobs, almost one-third were in jobs at a lower skill level
than they were trained for (National Economic Advisory Council, 2010).
In comparison, the number of foreign workers registered with the government increased 35%
between 2011 and 2015 to 2.1 million. Another two million are said to be working illegally,
meaning those from overseas account for a quarter of the country‟s labour force (Lek, 2016).
This heavy reliance on foreign labour has come at a steep cost. In the 1980‟s and 90‟s, the
low cost model for growth allowed Malaysia to flourish. Unfortunately, this has allowed
companies to become comfortable and resistant to change. Malaysia‟s membership of the
Trans Pacific Partnership makes higher productivity and efficiency ever more urgent (
(SAIEED, 2016).
Economists argue that without a rise in productivity, measured in the production of higher
value-added goods and services, wages will continue to be low. The large number of foreign
workers with their lower skill sets and low wages makes things worse (SAIEED, 2016).
This has come at a cost. While the Asean average of productivity amongst workers is 1.9%,
the Malaysian average further decreased 14.6% per year between 2012 and 2014. This has
resulted in the manufacturing sector losing its edge despite the cheap workers available (Lek,
2016).
Until the mid 1980s, Malaysia‟s gross domestic product per capita was about the same as
South Koreas. Now it is barely 35% as South Korea has aggressively invested in new
technology and consistently improved its skilled workforce ( (Lek, 2016).
To encourage local companies to hire local talent, companies that take part in certain
apprenticeship programmes qualify for tax incentives. Local apprentices who can be absorbed
into the company are given scholarships under government schemes such as the Skim Latihan
Dual National (SLDN) and the Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) apprenticeship
schemes. The company is also reimbursed for any training costs, insurances and raw
materials involved during the programs (Zain, 2016).
The government has also included the Malaysian Skills Certificate 3 for the double tax
deduction under Structured Internship Programs until 2019. This will further encourage
companies to take part in skills apprenticeships and internships. Matching grants are also
available for TVET institutes who have managed to secure funding from industry partners for
equipment.
To attract foreign investment back into the country, Malaysia definitely needs to increase the
skills and technical competencies of its local workforce. As such, big allocations have been
put aside in the 2017 National Budget for the enhancement of existing TVET institutions.
RM 4.6 billion has been set aside for the enhancement of TVET institutions. Another RM
400million to increase the number of polytechnics and vocational colleges, RM 270 million
to upgrade equipment in TVET institutions, RM 360 million to the Skills Development Fund
Corporation for the private loans for students who wish to pursue TVET through private
providers and a further RM 50million to enhance graduate employability by extending the
1Malaysia Training Scheme (SL1M) for 20,000 graduates ( Ernst & Young Tax Consultants
Sdn. Bhd., 2016)
2.1.3 Social
Although there is massive amount of emphasis on TVET and its development in Malaysia,
the main problem lies with its uptake. More than 100,000 school-leavers join the labour
market annually, after 11 years of formal schooling without pursuing further education or
training (Pang, 2011).
A negative stigma has also surrounded TVET. It has always been viewed as the last resort for
students. This perception is further amplified by the lower academic entry requirements of the
courses themselves making the view on the, for the “lesser qualified”. Rather than an
equivalent pathway to academic education, the TVET pathway is viewed as the option for the
“school drop-outs” (Pang, 2011).
This negative outlook is also not helped by the fact that majority of the skills diplomas and
certificates provided by private and even public institutions do not allow exemptions nor even
entry into higher education. TVET programmes in Malaysia are offered at certificate,
diploma, and degree levels by seven different ministries, each using a different version of the
skills framework and awarding different certifications.
Presently, qualifications for academic (higher education) and vocational education sectors
offered by MOHE‟s universities, polytechnics, and community colleges are accredited by the
Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) and allow pathways into local universities. Skills
training programmes offered by skills training institutions are accredited by the Department
for Skill Development (DSD) of the Ministry of Human Resources. These however, do not
currently have a pathway into university.
In order to curb this problem, the New Education Blueprint (2015-2025) has made it a
priority to streamline TVET and enable learners under TVET to have the same articulations
and status as academic learners (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, 2015).
At the present moment, due to the differences in certifications, entry requirements and even
learning styles, TVET qualifications are still poorly received in the workplace.
Many employers do not recognize the certification due to the highly fragmented landscape,
with many ministries and agencies issuing certifications.
The main issue reported from the industries are the lacking of product quality and skills
possessed by the students. Although the system fundamentally designed to meet observed or
projected labor market demands, the current TVET programs in Malaysia are largely supply
driven and still lack giving emphasis to match training to available jobs. Training institutions
also seldom track the employment destination of their graduates. Consequently, the
institutions have not taken advantage feedback from past trainees on the quality of the
training they have received to improve their curricula and training packages. In short, the
implementation of outcome evaluation and tracer studies that can improve the market
responsiveness of training programs is still lacking. The overall funding structure also does
not fully support quality and performance of TVET providers (Affero Ismail, 2013).
Recently, the focus is to improve the value proposition and attractiveness of TVET to
prospective students, providers and industry. A national media campaign is being rolled out
to improve public awareness and perception of TVET as well as to re-brand TVET as an
attractive career option (Council, 2012).
2.1.4 Technological
Technology has changed education. Right from the way it is developed, delivered to the way
it is accessed. The development of personal computers, mobile phones, tablets and high speed
internet has changed the very landscape of what we call education today.
In response to the advent of technology into every aspect of daily life, the modern classroom
has become a high-tech computer center for online learning and electronic standardized
testing. Superseding what was previously a simple room full of desks, writing utensils, and a
chalkboard, technology is transforming the way students are educated (Purdue University,
2017).
The Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025 seeks to “leverage ICT to scale up quality
learning” across the country (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, 2015). The urgency of
transforming the classroom to keep up with technological trends has therefore been
recognised and is being implemented under one of 11 shifts listed in the blueprint for
preschool to post-secondary education (News Straits Times, 2016).
Although the policies do not indicate any ICT strategy for TVET specifically, the following
multi prong strategies are to be executed to ensure their objectives are met:
- To provide ICT equipment and infrastructure to educational institutions,
- ICT curriculum and assessments to be taught in all institutions by being integrated
into teaching and learning,
- Upgrade ICT knowledge and skills amongst teachers,
- Increase the use of ICT in education management,
- The upgrading of the maintenance and management of ICT equipment in all
educational institutions.
(Chan, 2002)
2.2 Competition
To better understand TTC‟s competition, we use the Porter‟s five forces model.
2.3 Porter’s five forces
Figure 4.1 Porter 6 forces- Industry Analysis (TTC now, without government emphasis on Technical Education)
Source: Porter, M., 1998*1
Table 4.1 – Application of Porters 6 Forces to TTC
Porters Force Explanation
Threats of New Entrants
The main barrier to entry in the technical education market is the high start up capital required. TTC’s industry requires training machinery and equipment which are all big investments. When first bought, the machinery will not produce economies of scale thus new entrants will be put off by that (Ratnam& Rajes, 2010).
However, big players who are already in the education market will not have trouble starting up if they can overcome the high start up costs. Distribution channels are easy to access and the expected retaliation in the industry towards a new entrant is low. Differentiation is low as well at the moment in the industry. The only true initial barrier for new entrants is government legislation, however, if the new entrant can prove to be suitable to run these courses in terms of experience and modal, even that can be overcome (Ratnam& Rajes, 2010).
1 Porter, M., 1998 cited in McAfee & Preston, 2002, p 267.
Competitive Rivalry
Potential Entrants (Threat of entry)
Buyers (Bargaining power)
Substitutes (Threat of substitutes)
Suppliers (Bargaining power)
Goverment Power
LOW
HIGH
HIGH
LOW
LOW HIGH
Although the threat of entry is high, the negative image of technical education and the general lack of awareness of what this industry has to offer keeps the number of providers low in the market (Ratnam& Rajes, 2010).
Threat of Substitutes
In a wider sense, due to the lack of awareness of the actual benefits and differences of technical education compared to academic, TTC’s competitors are also academic colleges that offer engineering courses such as Taylors College and KBU. Students who are not exposed to technical education (non technical school students) generally rather study in the academic route than the technical one (Ratnam& Rajes, 2010).
Bargaining power of buyers
Bargaining power when it comes to buyers of TTC is moderate. Buyers have power because there is low switching costs as in they can easily jump to another college or university. However, because TTC is the only private college that offers diplomas in applied engineering, buyer power is lessened (Ratnam& Rajes, 2010).
Bargaining power of suppliers
Supplier power in the industry is low. TTC’s suppliers are basically some marketing agencies and raw material suppliers; both of which are in abundance (Ratnam& Rajes, 2010). Thus, supplier power is low.
Competitive Rivalry
Government polytechnics, colleges and institutes are generally more established and financially more stable compared to TTC. However, TTC’s advantage over these establishments is their foreign tie ups with UK and Australia (Ratnam& Rajes, 2010). Thus, students are given more choice in TTC compared to competitors.
Private college competitors however are generally smaller in scale compared to TTC and again do not have the foreign tie ups that TTC has in place for their students. Direct competitors are other government run institutions that run the same technical courses such as GMI and private institutions such as MIT Academy and Kolej WIT (trainingmalaysia.com, 2010). However, TTC is the only private college to offer its courses up to diploma level in the country (Ratnam& Rajes, 2010).
The industry growth rate is high. In the life cycle shown below, TTC is evidently in the growth stage where rivalry is still comparatively low, but entry barriers are low as well (Gan, 1998).
Figure 4.2 – Industry Life Cycle and TTC’s current position
TTC
Source: Kotler, 20092
Government Power
Government power is high in this industry due to their ability to decide who can acquire the licenses to start up a technical institute. They also control what is taught in these institutes and generally most other regulations as well. However, other than this, up till now, the government has not butted into the industry, nor any radical changes been made (Ratnam & Rajes, 2010).
Chapter 3
3.1 Research Design
The design of any research is the structure of any scientific work. It gives direction and
systemized the research. According to Trochim (2005), research design is the glue that holds
the research paper together.
This section of the paper is to structure the research, to show how all of the major parts of the
research project work together to try to address the central research questions.
There are a few forms of research but the most relevant to this study are discussed below:
a) Exploratory
A method which is commonly applied at the beginning of a research plan due to the nature
of the outcomes produced. It is forage into both the known and unknown, creating ideas
and directions for future study, analysis and quantification. Research questions are
commonly unstructured so that common issues may emerge or be observed, providing a
focus on which to gather quantitative evidence. If “a hypothesis is a conjectural statement
of the relation between two or more variables ”, Kerlinger, 1956, then we must first utilise
a this type of framework to discover those variables.
b) Conclusive
As the name would suggest, the use of conclusive research design is employed in order to
generate definitive results from which reliable hypotheses and outcomes can be drawn.
Data is usually gathered through quantitative methods, working on the basis of measuring
the level of occurrences in a given sample and drawing inferences therefrom. It is a
controlled and formal method of data gathering and while it doesn‟t enable a greater
diversity in outcomes, its application illustrates correlations between tested variables. A
conclusive research design is further divided into the subcategories of descriptive and
causal research.
- Descriptive
For the purposes of this study, the common application to online questionnaires would
make this method the most suited, as the outcomes are typically quantitative in nature.
Once variables have been identified, this structured approach has the advantage of
defining the attitude, opinion, behaviour or preference of an identified audience on a given
subject. By controlling the available outcomes, responses can be grouped into
predetermined choices, which can then be converted into statistically inferable data. The
quantifiable evidence will either be in support or contradiction of the initial hypothesis,
which could therefore justify the need for a revised research design.
- Causal
Also quantitative in nature, causal research employs a structured design and is therefore
considered as also being conclusive research. Its aim is to identify the connection between
the cause and effect on variables. Whereas descriptive research observes the outcomes
from already defined variables, causal research seeks to define which variable affects an
outcome and which variable causes an outcome. For example, reducing the price of an
education program (cause) may attract more students (effect). Therefore variable of price
causes an outcome whereas the students are the effected variable.
Owing to the outcome being sought, a conclusive and descriptive research design lends itself
as being the most suitable. The target audience is already known inside of a controlled
environment. Therefore an exploratory design is not required at this stage. Inferences on the
types of variables, cause or effect, will become apparent through analysis of the outcomes.
The research design can be delivered through an online quantitative questionnaire, a method
which is quick and easy to set up and can be tested within a control group before being
disseminated to the intended audience. Outside variables which may have an influence on the
outcomes can be identified and controlled if necessary. Alternatively, they can be factored
into the design in order to attain whether they were a factor in the outcome or a benign
environmental.
Choosing between research methods essentially boils down to the objectives of the research.
Quantitative methods are used to examine the relationship between variables with the primary
goal being to analyse and represent that relationship mathematically through statistical
analysis (Gabrenya, 2003).
This research will use a online questionnaire with quantitative questions which would be
specific to the profiling of the students who have chosen to study TVET in TTC and then
move on to identify their influencers, the factors that made them choose TTC and finally, the
sources of information they used.
The questionnaire will also be in a dual language to ensure students who struggle with
language proficiency will still be able to answer correctly.
3.2 Sample Unit
Since the research here is directly targeted at TTC, the target respondents will be a sample of
from TTC‟s current student population of 950 students.
3.3 Sampling method
Sampling is the selection of the correct group people to engage in research to ensure accurate
feedback and correct analysis can be made (Rogelberg & Stanton, 2007). For the purposes of
this study, non-probability convenience sampling will be applied. The students in TTC are
registered under three different faculties and then by seniority, ie; Year 1 (level 2), 2 (Level
3) and 3 (level4). The participants will be random, from each class and each level. This will
be done by simply informing them that this survey is being done and those interested to
participate can head to the IT labs to fill in the online questionnaire. This will ensure there is
no bias nor skewed perceptions.
3.4 Sample Size
The justification for selecting the appropriate sample size comes under the rule of thumb
proffered by Roscoe in 1975, which states that “there is seldom justification in behavioural
research for sample sizes of less than 30 or larger than 500”. For the purpose of this research
design, a target of 150 participants has been established as providing enough quantitative
evidence from which to draw measured conclusions.
3.5 Survey Location
The survey will be conducted within TTC premises in Subang Jaya in the two IT labs. The
students be given the survey link and they will be allowed the fill in the questionnaire at their
own pace. Unbiased answers are encouraged through their anonymity and absence of the
researcher.
3.6 Collection Method
As alluded in 3.1, the quantitative questionnaire will be delivered through an online platform
called Survey Monkey in a controlled computer lab within TTC. The software automatically
tabulated the results ensure there are no calculation errors.
3.7 Ethical Issues As studied by Berg (2001) on top of conceptualizing the writing process, researchers need to
foresee the ethical issues that may arise during their research.
To ensure there will be no issues of ethics, all respondents will be allowed to participate in
the questionnaire through a voluntary basis. They will be informed of the use of the survey.
In the first section of the questionnaire, they will go through the “general consent” where they
can confirm if they are in consent and have an opportunity to withdraw or even skip questions
if they feel uncomfortable.
The questionnaire will be done anonymously, one of the many benefits of doing a web based
questionnaire. This way the respondents will not feel pressured through the presence of
researchers or other authority figures. They will have a computer to themselves and there will
be no sharing. This way they will not have any influencers in the form of friends who may
skew their answers a certain way.
As the survey is being tubulised by the SurveyMonkey software, the integrity of the research
will be maintained as there will be no “human error” or tweaking of results to better suit the
outcome predicted.
Finally, all research that has been done will be properly referenced and credits given where
due to ensure there is no form of plagiarism, intentional or unintentional.
4.0 Data Analysis
4.1 General Consent The questionnaire was carried out over a period of two days, from the 16th of May 2017 to the
17th of May 2017. A total number of 167 students answered the questionnaire. Before
answering the questions, a short briefing was given to them so they clearly understood the
objectives of the questionnaire. They were also reassured that their details would remain
anonymous.
Chart 1: Results of Question 1 (General consent)
Chart 2: Results of Question 2 (General consent)
The first 3 questions of the survey allowed them to confirm that they understood the
information sheet for the study and that they has opportunities to consider the information,
ask questions and answer satisfactorily.
The questions also allowed them to show consent to take part in the study on a voluntary basis and
that they may ignore some questions that they felt unwilling to respond to. All these were accepted as
part of this research study.
Chart 3: Results of Question 3 (General consent)
All the students clicked “yes” to the 3 consent questions and as such it can be taken as their
agreement.
4.2 Student registration type
4.2.1 Program Breakdown To better understand the students that were participating in the study, the next two questions
looked into which courses they were studying and which semester they were registered in.
Chart 4: Results of Question 4 (Program studied)
A total of 167 students took part in the questionnaire. From this, a total of 37.2% were from
the precision engineering faculty, 42.68% from the logistics faculty and 20.12% from the
retail faculty. This breakdown is an accurate portrayal of the TTC student population where
the Logistics faculty is the biggest, followed by engineering and then, by much smaller
comparison, retail.
As the study used a non-probability, convenience sampling, it is advantageous that the
sample gave the research a proper picture. This will be particularly helpful when giving
recommendations to improve the marketing effectiveness especially if the recommendations
could be skewed towards particular programs.
4.2.2 Registered Level
Chart 5: Results of Question 5 (Registered Level)
From the results, it is clear that the majority of the respondents are registered in Level 3 with
a 59.15%. While this is not a problem, it is important to note that this higher number is
probably caused by the Retail program starting their program with Level 3 instead of Level 2
like Engineering and Logistics. This factor probably caused the majority number.
In the Engineering and Logistics faculty, Level 3 students have generally been registered with
TTC for a period of more than 6 months. For the purposes of this research, these numbers do
not particularly affect the student profile but may affect the third part of the study where their
sources of information come into play. This is due to the changes in marketing strategy where
Facebook marketing was introduced in 2015.
4.3 Student Demographics
4.3.1 Gender
Chart 6: Results of Question 6 (Gender)
It is not surprising to see that the majority of the students are male. Across the world, TVET
has traditionally been considered a male dominated field (National Women's Law Center,
2002). In fact, a study done by in Cambodia found that “female participation is under
represented and there appears to be discriminatory selection in favour of males in terms of
programs with comparatively high income generating potential. (Asian Development Bank,
1996). This problem is represented here at TTC as well.
4.3.2 Race
Chart 7: Results of Question 7 (Race)
It is interesting to see that the population of students whom are of a Malay race make up half
of the population. This is followed by Indians who made up 37.04% and then Chinese
students and students who come under the “others category”. This ratio however may have
been skewed by the fact that the convenience sampling allowed for students from the “SEDIC
Scholarship Program” which was only targeted at only Indian students to take part as their
classes were being held next to the lab the questionnaire was being filled in.
4.3.3 Age
Chart 8: Results of Question 8 (Age)
It is simple to see that most of the students who enrolled at TTC are between the ages 18 to
20. This is consistent with the current marketing strategy of targeting students straight after
SPM.
4.3.3 Religion
Chart 9: Results of Question 9 (Religion)
This question was included to better understand the cultural aspect of the student’s
thought process. As Islam is the religion practiced by the Malay students and the
majority of Indian students are Hindu, the results are fairly consistent.
4.3.4 Hometown
Chart 10: Results of Question 10 (Hometown)
The majority of the students hail from the local state of Selangor where TTC is situated. This
is followed by the state of Perak and then Kedah.
4.3.5 Language Spoken
Chart 11: Results of Question 11 (Language Spoken)
As Bahasa Malaysia is the national language, it is fair to see that close to 60% of the
respondents stated that this was the language they were most comfortable to communicate in.
This is also due to the respondents being 50% Malay-muslims where this is their native
language. Tamil is the mother tongue of the Indian hindus which contributed to 32% of the
respondents.
4.3.6 Highest level of education
Chart 12: Results of Question 12 (Highest level of education)
Again, this result is consistent with TTC‟s marketing in taking in students straight after SPM.
4.3.7 SPM Results
Chart 13: Results of Question 13 (SPM Results)
A majority of the students do not have any A‟s in their high school education examinations,
known as the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia. 66.67% reported having no A‟s and 31.48% with less
than 4As. This result is consistent again with TTC‟s marketing which is targeted at school
leavers who are not academically inclined.
4.3.8 Type of high school attended
Chart 14: Results of Question 14 (Type of high school)
On the contrary to the belief that students from technical and vocational high schools would be the
majority here, it is the national academic school which are the major contributor to TTC‟s intakes.
This is a surprising find and shall be further explored to enhance TTC‟c marketing.
4.3.9 Household income
Chart 15: Results of Question 15 (Household income)
A whopping 80% of the population belong to the low income category. This is defined by the
Malaysian government as the B40 category. The Malaysian Economic Report 2015/2016
defines the B40 category as households with a monthly income of up to RM3,855, with those
in the M40 (middle 40 per cent income) group earning between RM3,860 and RM8,319
(Bernama, 2015).
4.3.10 Number of Siblings
Chart 16: Results of Question 16 (Number of siblings)
Although as seen in the previous, most of the students belong to the low income group,
however, around 70% of the students have 3 siblings or more. This would make the
average spent on each child even lower leading to a heavier reliance on other sources of
funding for education.
4.3 Influencers
4.3.1 Education level of family members
Chart 17: Results of Question 17 (Education level of family members)
This question was included to analyse the comparative education level between the members
of the respondents families. To achieve this simply, respondents were requested to only
choose their highest qualified older sibling. From the results the following can be concluded:
- The biggest percentage was SPM as the highest qualification with 40% of the fathers,
50% of mothers. 38% of older brothers and 26% of older sisters.
- 32% of fathers and mothers do not even have an SPM qualification.
- 37.39% of older brothers have a minimum of a SPM certificate with 21.74% having a
diploma and 13.91% having a degree.
- 26.36% of older sisters have a minimum of a SPM certificate, 20.16% have a diploma
but 24.03% have a degree.
It is clear that amongst the parents, the father is still the more educated. However,
amongst the siblings, the older sisters have surpassed their male counterparts.
4.3.2 Influencing family member
Chart 18: Results of Question 18 (Influencing family member)
In this question, the objective was to find out who was the person who influenced the
respondent the most of join TTC. The answers were heavily skewed with 59.88% of
students answering their mothers were the main influencers. The fathers came as a
second with 42.59%. Interestingly enough, the sisters came in third with a 13.58%.
Based on the results of the earlier question, it may be predicted that since the sisters
were better qualified that the brothers, they may have a heavier influence on their
younger siblings. In fact, even relatives were considered more influential compared to
the brothers.
4.4 Factors for choosing TTC
This part of the study was done to better understand the influencing factors of the respondents
for having chosen to continue their education at TTC.
Chart 19: Results of Question 19 (Important factors for choosing TTC)
Factors
Not important –
A little important –
Important –
Very important –
Total –
Weighted Average –
– Government certificate (Certifikasi Diploma Kemahiran Malaysia)
1.89% 3
2.52% 4
35.22% 56
60.38% 96
159
2.54
– 100% Job Guarantee
2.52% 4
7.55% 12
32.70% 52
57.23% 91
159
2.45
– Opportunity to do internships and on-jobtraining (Peluang untuk menjalani On-jobtraining dengan rakan industri)
2.52% 4
8.18% 13
42.77% 68
46.54% 74
159
2.33
– Trainers are good (Trainer yang bagus)
3.77% 6
8.81% 14
45.28% 72
42.14% 67
159
2.26
– International links and certification (SQA & City & Guilds) (Persijilan antarabangsa) 4.40% 7
12.58% 20
37.74% 60
45.28% 72
159
2.24
– Strong emphasis on English language (Penekanan kepada Bahasa Inggeris)
5.66% 9
10.06% 16
42.77% 68
41.51% 66
159
2.20
– Loan and financial assistance from the government (PTPK loan, PSMB scholarship, SEDIC scholarship)
2.52% 4
18.24% 29
40.88% 65
38.36% 61
159
2.15
– Hands on learning environment (Jenis pembelajaran praktikal)
3.14% 5
13.21% 21
57.23% 91
26.42% 42
159
2.07
– Good practical facilities (labs, retail shop, machining centers) (Kemudahan praktikal yang bersesuaian) 5.66% 9
16.35% 26
47.80% 76
30.19% 48
159
2.03
– Course offered (Kursus yang ditawarkan)
2.52% 4
18.24% 29
54.72% 87
24.53% 39
159
2.01
– Comfortable college environment (clean, friendly and welcoming) (Suasana kolej yang bersih, ramah dan mesra)
8.18% 13
18.87% 30
37.74% 60
35.22% 56
159
2.00
– TTC has a good image (Kolej mempunyai imej yang baik)
8.81% 14
19.50% 31
38.99% 62
32.70% 52
159
1.96
– Active social life in college (student events, sports and social engagement) (Pelbagai aktiviti sosial di kolej (Student Representative Council, aktiviti sukan dan lain-lain)
10.06% 16
22.64% 36
36.48% 58
30.82% 49
159
1.88
– The information given by the Marketing team was convincing (Maklumat yang diberikan oleh pihak Marketing meyakinkan saya)
8.18% 13
19.50% 31
48.43% 77
23.90% 38
159
1.88
– Strong industry links (Hubungan yang kukuh dengan rakan industri)
10.69% 17
22.01% 35
40.88% 65
26.42% 42
159
1.83
– Place with sports facilities (Kemudahan sukan)
13.21% 21
25.79% 41
30.82% 49
30.19% 48
159
1.78
– Location of the college is central (Lokasi TTC yang strategik)
13.21% 21
24.53% 39
39.62% 63
22.64% 36
159
1.72
– My parents/siblings convinced me to join (ibu bapa saya / adik-beradik meyakinkan saya untuk menyertai TTC
12.58% 20
25.16% 40
44.03% 70
18.24% 29
159
1.68
– Low entry requirements (No need 3 credits in SPM) (Kelayakan masuk rendah)
12.58% 20
30.19% 48
42.77% 68
14.47% 23
159
1.59
– Not much emphasis on written final exam (kurang fokus terhadap peperiksaan bertulis)
9.43% 15
36.48% 58
39.62% 63
14.47% 23
159
1.59
– Hostel provided (Kemudahan hostel)
27.04% 43
22.64% 36
25.79% 41
24.53% 39
159
1.48
Factors
Not important –
A little important –
Important –
Very important –
Total –
Weighted Average –
– My Brother/ sister/ friend/ relative also studied at TTC (Abang / kakak / rakan / saudara juga belajar di TTC)
69.18% 110
14.47% 23
12.58% 20
3.77% 6
159
0.51
The top three factors were expected ie; government certification, 100% Job guarantee which
is a promise TTC makes their students through their work placement department and
opportunities to do internships and on-job-trainings.
The reputations of the trainers are also important to the respondents. TTC‟s trainers are
selected based on their industry experienced and then carefully trained through a Vocational
Training Officer qualification system to ensure they maintain quality standards. The Head of
Departments are further trained under the Australian Training and Education 41100 national
qualification to allow international standards to be maintained.
The respondents also ranked international certification and the emphasis on English language
as an important factor. TTC provides the students English language classes and this allows
for the students to improve their language skills.
Surprisingly, loan and financial assistance from the government has been ranked, albeit in the
top factors, but in this survey as the 7th most important. As majority of the students come
from low income, it is interesting to see the priorities of the students.
The hands on learning environment and practical facilities are also ranked as important for
the students. As a TVET institution, this is not a surprise.
The course offered and college environment also was included in the top factors.
On the opposite side of the scale, the lowest rank factor was a sibling/relative or friend
attending TTC.
4.5 Sources of information
On the left - Chart 20: Results of Question 20 (Sources of information)
Below: Results of Question 20 (Sources of information)
48.43% of the students confirmed that they used Facebook to find out about TTC. The mass
mail approach that TTC uses came in second followed by the website and then school visits.
Also to note is the influence of the parents which came in at 11.32%.
4.6 Business Implications
4.6.1 Student Demographics Implications From the study, it is simple to conclude that TTC‟s main target marketing is profiled as
follows:
Malay males or indian males, between the age 18 – 20 who have just completed SPM in a
national school, with less than 4 A‟s, muslim and hindu religious background, hailing from
Selangor. The main language spoken is Bahasa Malaysia and Tamil. They hail from low
income families with majority having more than 3 siblings. While their parents are mostly
SPM holder, their siblings are slightly more educated with diplomas. Their mothers are the
biggest influencers.
We use this information to recommend a plan to increase the marketing effectiveness for
TTC.
4.6.2 Factors for choosing TTC implications
Upon seeing the factors for choosing TTC, there are a lot of things that TTC should maintain
such as the 100% Job Guarantee, hands on learning and government certification. It is
important that the future marketing uses this factors to attract the target market. This will be
further discussed in the recommendations.
4.6.3 Sources of information implications
As Facebook ranked the most important, TTC should maintain the methods of marketing.
The mass mail approach also was ranked well and should be continued. However, since it has
been proven that the respondents are open to online sources of information in their decision
making process, we can further recommend other online portals for TTC to target to create a
bigger online presence.
5.0 Business Model
5.1 Business Canvas Model
New Business Driver: Enhanced marketing effectiveness in Malaysia
Key Partners
- Government - Funding Institutions - Industry Partners
Key Activities
-TVET -Job Placement
Value Propositions
- Delivering high demand niche courses using TVET approach to students who are not academically inclined.
- Ensuring students are market ready & promising 100% Job placements
Customer Relationships
Guidance and Counselling Alumni Student Council Customer feedback & data analysis
Customer Segments
- Students after SPM between age 18-25
- All Malaysians
- Low income
- Not academically inclined
- Parents
Key Resources
- Talent - Facilities - Intellectual property - Government accreditations - External student funding
Channels
Schools Mass mailing Telesales Google Adwords Youtube Facebook Event advertising
Cost Structure -Salaries -Course Development -Real estate -Lab and machine maintenance
Revenue Streams
- Student Registration fees - Student course fees - Scholarships & Government grants
5.2 Business Model Elements
5.2.1 New Business Driver
The new business driver that will be proposed in this business plan is an enhanced marketing
strategy. As discussed in the previous topics, it is essential TTC starts to brand and market
itself in as the industry grows and becomes more competitive. As such, we look at the
business canvas with this purpose in mind.
5.2.2 Customer Segments
As shown in the questionnaire results, TTC‟s current customer segment is Malaysian students
between the age of 18 to 25 who have just completed their SPM. They are not academically
inclined and generally hail from low income environments. These students choose TTC to
continue their education using a better suited TVET style of learning and, upon completion
find gainful employment. While we do not intend to change the marketing strategy that has
brought this target market to TTC, it will be improved to reach a bigger audience. It is also
key to note that the parents are also a part of the customer segment. The parents are big
influencers in this decision making as proven by the study done.
5.2.3 Value Propositions
TTC‟s value proposition is its delivery of high demand, niche courses. Using a hands-on style
that allows for less emphasis on written tests, thesis papers and final examinations, the
learning style is ideal for those who dislike the academic approach. Thus, the students excel.
TTC also has a Work Place department that ensure the students are placed with their Industry
Partners to ensure all the graduates are employed. This value proposition will not change as it
is the core of TTC‟s values.
5.2.4 Customer Channels
TTC‟s current marketing strategy is very sales centric. There is no inclusion of branding or
long term marketing strategies. Currently, the strategy includes relationships with the school
counsellors and from them, getting lists to do telesales. Mass mailing is also a main part of
their recruitment and marketing cycle.
However, based on the results of the questionnaire, it can be seen that 48% of the students
came from Facbook advertising. This opens up a whole possibility of online marketing as it
can be shown that TTC‟s target market reacts positively to online advertising.
As such, this paper will go on to propose a new long term marketing which will include
Google advertising, youtube, the usage of blogs, LinkedIn and other online platforms that can
be utilised.
5.2.5 Customer Relationships
It is necessary to explore the enhancement of our customer relationships which could lead to
higher word of mouth marketing. Through guidance and counselling, students who have
problems and need support are given opportunities to reflect and improve. This keeps dropout
rates low. The alumni council is also put in place to ensure an on-going relationship with the
students who have graduated.
For existing students, the student council stands as a form of social service, a council that will
advise the management on what is required by the students. Finally, the quality team ensures
every student is given online questionnaires for feedback and data analysis at the end of every
semester. A student-get-student reward is also done to encourage students to bring in their
friends to join TTC.
5.2.6 Key Activities
TTC‟s key activity remains as the delivery of high quality technical vocational training to
students. This starts with the effective recruitment of students and will be further explored to
fulfill the new business driver. The execution of teaching and training is then carried out and
finally, as placement is part of the TTC value equation, another key activity is ensuring all
graduates are 100% employed.
5.2.7 Key Partners
As a government accredited center, the Malaysian government remains as one of the most
important partners of TTC. As shown in the study, government certification is one of the top
reasons students choose TTC. The government funding institutions also are a part of TTC‟s
key partners due to TTC‟s target market of students hailing from the low income category.
Finally, industry partners are also a key partners as without them, the employment part of the
equation will not be fulfilled.
5.2.8 Key Resources
As a TVET provider, the most important key resource is our people. As a service based
business, it is crucial the talent in the company, from the marketing team, to the lecturers to
the student affairs executives are managed and grown correctly. Facilities are also a key
resource. Being in a traditional industry like education means that having ample amount of
classrooms, labs and student areas which lead to student satisfaction.
TTC‟s intellectual property ie; course materials, instructional materials, content and other
materials used for learning is also a key resource.
As previously mentioned, government accreditations and funding are also key resources for
TTC.
5.2.9 Revenue Streams
The revenue stream from TTC is mainly from student course fees. This makes up for a
majority of the income structure. Student registration fees are also a component in the
revenue stream. Government scholarships and grants also factor into this but are usually on a
project or ad hock basis.
5.2.10 Cost Structure
The cost structure for TTC is mainly fixed overheads. Salaries amount to the major bulk of
the cost composition. Rental, instalments and building maintenance also are a fixed cost that
makes up a big part of the cost structure. Labs and machinery maintenance, as a TVET
institution, is also unavoidable. Course development is a further cost but is a ad hock basis,
6.0 Business Plan
6.1 Vision and mission
A company‟s vision can be defines as an idealized picture of the future of an organization.
The mission states the firm‟s purpose and where it fits in the world (DuBrin, 2010). TTC‟s
vision is “to be internationally sought after for our education that works”. This vision was
developed in 2013 by the board members who recognized the core of TTC was in its delivery
of high quality TVET. As such, the company used part of its vision statement as its corporate
tagline “Education that Works”. This statement also tied in to the core belief that education
should always tie in with industry and as such, the meaning of “education that works” can
also be interpreted to symbolize the partnership with industry partners.
TTC‟s mission statement is a further elaboration of the same i.e.; “We make our vision
possible by offering a range of high-demand niche courses which satisfy 4 parties; industry,
student, parent, and our shareholders by ensuring we maintain our hands-on learning
methodology and 100% employment rate”.
6.2 Objectives
The research done thus far has been to determine the profile of students who have chosen
TTC, their influencers, their factors for choosing TTC and finally the information sources
they used when making this decision. Using the information we have gathered from the
survey, we identify the objectives of this business plan:
- To recommend a 3 year marketing plan that will increase the marketing effectiveness
of TTC in Malaysia,
- To propose an organisational plan to support this new marketing plan
- To suggest a 3 year financial plan and forecast to uphold the implementation of the
new marketing plan,
- To recommend a scheduled timeline in the form of a Gantt chart for the
implementation of this plan.
6.3 Marketing Plan