International Journal of Vocational Education and Training Research 2015; 1(2): 27-33 Published online August 12, 2015 (http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ijvetr) doi: 10.11648/j.ijvetr.20150102.13 Students Satisfaction of the Industrial Skills Enhancement Program (INSEP) Christina Andin, Abdul Said Ambotang Faculty of Psychology and Education, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, East Malaysia Email address: christina@ums.edu.my (C. Andin), said@ums.edu.my (A. S. Ambotang) To cite this article: Christina Andin, Abdul Said Ambotang. Students Satisfaction of the Industrial Skills Enhancement Program (INSEP). International Journal of Vocational Education and Training Research. Vol. 1, No. 2, 2015, pp. 27-33. doi: 10.11648/j.ijvetr.20150102.13 Abstract: Policy makers in higher-education institutes have recently paid closer attention to graduate enrichment programs such as INSEP. The program aimed to prepare unemployed graduates with ‘ready to work’ knowledge and skills. The objectives of this study are to examine the satisfaction of the former students of the INSEP program in regards to three aspects, including inputs, implementation and learning impacts of the program. This study adopts the quantitative approach, using a set of questionnaires as an instrument. The sample size used for the study includes 71 respondents out of 82 graduates. This study was conducted one year after the students completed the INSEP program. The findings in regards to the program’s inputs showed that the students were satisfied with the content of the program, but were less satisfied with the quality of the teaching staff and infrastructure. The students were also less satisfied with the implementation of the program, especially the implementation of industrial training. In regards to learning impacts, the students were more satisfied with the program’s impacts on soft skills, compared to technological knowledge and skills. This study sheds light on several aspects of the program that need further improvement. Keywords: Graduate, Training, Satisfaction 1. Introduction For the past few years, the Malaysian government has come up with many training programs in its effort to assist university graduates in gaining industry-specific skills. One of the programs is the Industrial Skills Enhancement Program (INSEP). The training program intends to provide unemployed graduates with specific skills, making them more marketable to particular industries in the employment market. According to the Graduate Tracer Study report in 2008, a total of approximately 150,000 students graduated every year in Malaysia. The percentage of graduates employed after graduation was about 50.5 percent, while 21.7 percent of graduates were unemployed, and the remaining graduates decided to continue their studies [1]. One of the reasons for this unemployment is related to a mismatch between what is needed by industry, and what is offered by graduates [2]. Therefore, INSEP was formulated in order to assist graduates facing challenges of structural unemployment, and to equip them with the transferable skills and competencies needed in order to acquire ‘carry forward’ or work-ready skill sets applicable to workplace settings. INSEP is a post-graduate program fully funded by Perbadanan Tabung Pembangunan Kemahiran (PTPK), under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). In 2006 the program spent approximately 32 million [3]. Given the huge expenses involved in implementing the program, this study was carried out in order to investigate the effectiveness of the program in equipping Malaysia’s workforce with the right competencies in technical disciplines and innovative capabilities, and in moving key trends and future technologies into marketplace significance. This is important for solving the problem of unemployment among graduates. The objectives of the study are to investigate the satisfaction of former INSEP students in regards to the following aspects: (a) Inputs of the program: Content of the program, teaching staff and infrastructure; (b) Implementation: Teaching and learning activities, and industrial training; (c) Learning impacts of the program: Impacts on knowledge, technical skills, and soft skills. 2. Review of Related Literature 2.1. Unemployment of Graduates There are many reasons why graduates are unemployed in Malaysia. One of the common reasons is the mismatch