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This monograph contains articles from the Asia-Pacific region on initiatives and innovations in technician education and training (TET). It provides a forum for non-traditional approaches to TET and is intended to showcase various TET initiatives that have developed under different conditions and with varying resources. The articles are: Flexibility in technician education curricula: an Indian experience / Shikha Lahiri, Anju Rawlley and H. L. Saluja; Developing and implementing a 'thinking curriculum' / Dennis Sale, Helene Leong and Linda Lim; Competency-based technical education curriculum model / Joshua Earnest and H. L. Saluja; Business skills building: Diploma in Business Studies / Keah Fong Tan; Distance education for continuing education / Motilal Sharma; Integrating multi-media delivery methodology into automotive technical training / Mary Panko and Harvey Heath; Setting up an instructional resources marketing unit / J. S. Saini and S. K. Dhameja; Resource generation in TET: launching of a post-graduate certificate course in video film production techniques / B. S. Rathore, S. K. Dhameja, B. R. Gurjar and D. D. Sharma; Interactive networking for an industry: polytechnic interface: a case study / L. N. Mittal; Industrial training of technical teachers: an Indian model / P. C. Jain, S. K. Saxena and R. P. Khambayat; Industrial attachment of technical teachers in Papua New Guinea / J. B. Jayasundara and Thomas Aiye; Tracer study of employability of polytechnic diploma holders / B. S. Rathore, J. S. Saini, D. D. Sharma, S. K. Dhameja and B. R. Gurjar; Enhancing women's participation in technician education / Manjul Saxena and Kiran Saksena; Females in male-dominated technical and other educational areas / Rossa Apelis; Empowerment through quality circles / R. B. Shivagunde and B. L. Gupta; A private technical-vocational institution goes global / Horacio Montefrio; Meralco Foundation Institute: a wholistic approach to technician education / Rodney B. Nono.

'Strengthening Technician Education in India', a World Bank-assisted project in India, provided considerable inputs in capacity expansion, quality and efficiency. It filled major resource gaps towards infrastructure development and established new structures for undertaking activities related to quality improvement. However, its impact on the education system and the suitability of diploma holders passing out from polytechnics to the requirements of their respective work situations was not explored. This paper reports on a tracer study that was carried out to determine the impact on the technician education system as reflected in the employment rate of the graduates on a comparative basis between the earlier and later stages of this project. The objectives of this study were: (1) to ascertain the time taken by the polytechnic graduates before obtaining their first job after graduation; (2) to determine the salary level received by the graduates in their first job; (3) to determine the present status of the teaching-learning process in polytechnics; (4) to determine the possible areas for improvement in the teaching-learning process; and (5) to ascertain the percentage of students pursuing higher studies.

St Xavier's Technical Institute in Mumbai, India is a polytechnic offering a range of engineering diploma programs beginning with 10th grade entrants from the school system to some continuing education programs for those already working in industry. Amidst concerns that polytechnic graduates enter the labour market without the requisite competences that industry needs, a competency-based curriculum (CBC) model was designed and implemented at St Xavier's Technical Institute, under the guidance of the Technical Teachers' Training Institute (TTTI). This paper showcases this model which was initiated in 1996 and launched in 1998.

The desire to promote creativity and critical thinking has been a major educational goal in Singapore over the last few years and many educational institutions have risen to this challenge through a variety of initiatives. This paper describes the initiation, development and subsequent progress of a major curriculum innovation at the Singapore Polytechnic (SP). The main aim of this innovation, which commenced in 1997, was to promote creativity and critical thinking into all curriculum areas across the 10 departments of the institute. The paper begins by describing the pilot project which was conducted as a starting point and which was then used to develop a polytechnic-wide curriculum model. This model takes into consideration learning outcomes, instructional methods and assessment. Information on the implementation covers difficulties encountered, factors that contributed to the success of the initiative and the cost of the innovation. The paper then describes the evaluation process which was conducted two years after the implementation of the initiative and concludes by outlining future developments and offers advice for institutes seeking a similar curriculum innovation.

Industrial placements provide technical teachers with an opportunity to upgrade their technical knowledge and skills in line with modern technological changes. This paper outlines the industrial attachment training program which was initiated for teachers in Papua New Guinea in 1994. Three case studies are presented and the paper outlines how industrial linkages were arranged and provides an assessment of the benefits that are derived from such an initiative.