700 students in Malaysia to be trained for rail industry this year

700 new trainees will be taken in this year for the East Coast Rail Link Industrial Skills Training Programme (PLKI-ECRL), Bernama reports.

The Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), the main training university selected by the Ministry of Higher Education to manage the programme, has a responsibility to train a total of 3,600 students by 2022.

UMP collaborated with two renowned universities in the rail engineering and technology sector, Beijing Jiaotong University and Southwest Jiaotong University, to develop the programme syllabus, according to UMP Rail Industry Academy director, Dr Fadzil Mat Yahaya.

The director noted that this collaboration, geared towards professional and industrial training, preparation for trainers, training facilities and research and development, would enhance the marketability of graduates from the institutions of higher learning (IPT) in Malaysia.

The opportunity to take part in the programme is open to all degree, diploma and technical certificate holders, stated Fadzil.

"Over the three-month course, they will become employees under Malaysia Rail Link (MRL) and undergo job training in upskilling as well as reskilling, following which they will be absorbed as employees until the completion of the ECRL project in 2023," he said.

According to Fadzil, 49 students have been trained for ECRL’s construction, with the help of MRL and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC).

"CCCC is the sponsor for this training programme involving RM23 million. At end-2017, there were 138 graduates who will finish training in early February," he added in a press statement.

The first intake of 30 students has been completely early this month, with the next enrolment to be implemented in the second quarter of 2018.

Urging those planning on continue their education to IPTs to consider this sector as a bright career prospect due to the rapid growth of the rail industry in the country, Fadzil commented: "Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak previously stated that the public transportation transformation is one of the government's main agenda and it is expected that some RM160 billion will be spent for rail-related projects until 2020.”

"This is why the country desperately needs more trained workforce in this industry to meet the industry demand," he concluded.

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