KOTA KINABALU – Sabah is the first state in Malaysia to offer a dual-licence from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia and European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the Part-66 Category A1 Aircraft Maintenance Technician licence.
The dual-licence is to be issued to those undergoing training for it at the Aerospace Training Centre at Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) here.
The centre will be able to accommodate up to 250 students per intake, and offer courses that take up a year and nine months to complete – with nine months for theoretical training and three months for on-the-job training.
In 2019, the national aerospace industry was estimated to have a total value of RM16 billion, and the training facility will help the state be a part of the sector.
Sabah Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Yakub Khan, during a visit to the centre today, said the state has the potential to grow in this industry.
“It is very interesting, and holds good potential for Sabah.
“The facility will not only enable training, but also provides quality accommodation and classrooms for trainees. Here, trainees will learn hands-on skills on aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul.
“This industry is relatively new in Sabah.”
Such skills are much sought after by maintenance, repair and operation companies worldwide, he added.
The KKIP Aerospace Training Centre is a wholly owned subsidiary of KKIP Sdn Bhd formed for the development of the facility.
It is equipped with a hangar, classrooms and workshops, as well as 120 air-conditioned hostel rooms furnished with beds, study tables and wardrobes, shared washrooms and a laundry room. It is also securely gated with 24 hours security.
It will be the first approved aircraft maintenance training centre in Malaysia that has the dual approval to conduct Category A1 Aircraft Maintenance Technician training.
KKIP Aerospace Training Centre graduates will be equipped with comprehensive skills, spaced out across 12 modules.
Training will commence in the areas of avionics, engine, body and composite works, both in theory and on-the-job practicum at the hangar building at the centre, and hangars of collaborating maintenance and repair organisations.
Category A1 graduates will be accorded with the said dual-licence to work in the aerospace industry.
Technicians equipped with a dual-licence will be able to get a salary of up to RM5,000 a month locally, while experienced aerospace graduates seeking employment in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, can expect a starting salary of US$8,000 (RM34,088) a month.
The centre will also be collaborating with MASwings Sdn Bhd and Mega Aerospace Centre Sdn Bhd for on-the-job training.
It also has Autogyro Cavalon 915 and Hawker Siddeley HS-125-400A aircrafts. – The Vibes, May 4, 2021
