The Malaysian Education Development Blueprint’s (2013-2025) emphasis on the holistic formation of students in line with quality human capital formation is based on the national philosophy of education. This blueprint is in line with the Government Transformation Program (GTP), which propels Malaysia towards becoming a developed and high-income country. Quality students are able to learn through formal, non-formal, and informal education as well as through meaningful experience. However, what are the factors that support the creation of awareness that knowledge is essential to life? We explored these factors through the use of grounded theory methods. A total of 32 respondents comprising of trainees, employers and industry supervisors were interviewed. In order to obtain a deeper understanding, we only focused on one public skills training institute which implements best practices. The results showed that there are six main factors that contribute to an environment, which is conducive to effective learning. These factors can serve as a guide to policy makers in the implementation of a comprehensive education system, which supports the holistic formation of students.