Industry Driven Graduates

KLM UK Engineering inks five-year partnership for the provision of Virtual Learning Environment and EASA examinations at Nilai University. 

Nilai University’s Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering programme is unique in that the curriculum prepares students for the all-important European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) B1 and B2 licence examinations. Since the programme’s launch in 2007, much has been done to facilitate the delivery of this programme. An iconic hangar (which was commissioned in 2009) now houses two aircraft, workshops as well as classrooms, making it a self-contained centre for Nilai U’s Department of Aircraft Maintenance.

Nilai U has now entered into collaboration with KLM UK Engineering (KLMUKE). KLMUKE will be the examiners for the EASA B1 and B2 licences for Nilai U students for the next five years.

“Combining the exceptional learning environment of Nilai University with a world renowned Maintenance and Repair Organisation is a decision that will give our students an increased learning experience. The 5-year partnership will allow both Nilai University and KLM UK Engineering to train the next generation of aircraft engineers.  The industry is expected to have   a surge in demand for qualified and experienced personnel in the coming years.   We are confident that the graduates of Nilai University’s aircraft maintenance programmes will have the knowledge, skills and attributes to be the backbone of the industry for many years to come,” explains Prof Dato’ Dr Sothi Rachagan, Nilai U Vice-Chancellor.

Under the terms of the collaboration, KLM UKE will also provide Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) software to support students of both the Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering and Advanced Diploma in Aircraft Engineering Technology programmes to do the EASA examinations. (Students who complete the Advanced Diploma will be entitled to a BSc (Hons) in Aircraft Engineering from Kingston University, UK).

Paul Chun, Vice-President of KLM Engine Services, had this to day: “This MoU is the perfect combination of hands on experience and academic practice. This will give students a very solid foundation to begin a career in aircraft maintenance. Via KLMUKE’s Virtual Learning Environment, students will get a solid education in this field. The VLE is interactive and offers much more than learning from books. It will challenge students to learn more in each module and teach students to think outside of the box.”

By having KLMUKE on board, Nilai U hopes that its students will be better prepared to face the EASA B License examinations. “It is without a doubt a key qualification in the field of aircraft maintenance engineering. This move is intended to ensure that our students have all the support necessary to pass these crucial examinations,” says Prof Sothi. “This will help Nilai U maintain its position as the premier institution for aircraft maintenance programmes.”

Nilai U launched its Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering in 2007 and obtained full accreditation from the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) in 2010 (while the Advanced Diploma in Aircraft Engineering Technology received MQA accreditation in 2013). It has support from Kingston University which provides external assessors and advisors. The institution is located just 15-minutes from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and is rated ‘Setara 5/ Excellent’ by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency. For more information, please go to www.nilai.edu.my or call 06-8502308.