International carrier AirAsia X hold induction for Nilai U recruits.
Nilai University's Diploma is proud to be among the pioneers in the field of aircraft maintenance engineering. It was the first to offer a diploma programme which prepares students for the European Safety Aviation Agency (EASA) B1-1 examinations. The EASA qualification is internationally-recognised and is one of the reasons this programme receives an avalanche of applications each semester.
The EASA qualification also means that employers are keen to seek out Nilai U students. AirAsia X Sdn Bhd recently accepted 15 students from Nilai U's Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering programme to undergo on-the-job-training (OJT) at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal, Sepang. Virender Singh Dahiya, Head of Nilai U's Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering programme, says that his faculty is very proud to have a sizeable number of students selected by a large airline company for OJT. He was keen to thank Air Asia X Head of Engineering, Anaz Ahmad Tajuddin, who has made this OJT with possible. Virender says the students will learn many valuable lessons from the experienced engineers at AirAsia X.
"This highlights the fact that employers such as AirAsia X recognise the quality of Nilai U's programme. To have 15 students being accepted underlines the fact we are producing quality graduates. This is the fifth time our students have been accepted to do OJT at AirAsia X," he says proudly. "It also shows that our students are gaining a reputation for being meticulous, disciplined and eager to learn."
Nilai U's Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering programme is a two-and-a-half year programme, with the final six months dedicated to that all-important OJT, which count towards credits for the application of a full EASA licence. That does not mean Nilai U students are not exposed to practical training on campus. Nilai U has spent a large amount of money to equip its campus with a dedicated hangar and with an aeroplane for students to work on. There are also state-of-the-art workshops and audio visual rooms to help students better understand their field.
To prepare the students selected, AirAsia X personnel held an induction at Nilai U's Putra Nilai campus. The briefing included talks on human resource development, ground safety and engineering. The message that was shared was quite clear. The students had been accepted because they had passed most of the EASA part 66 modules and had garnered a well-deserved reputation as being meticulous and disciplined interns. Faz Kamaruddin, Manager of People Development, AirAsia X Sdn Bhd, was keen to stress to the students that both parties have to work closely together and share responsibilities.
"Any good internship program is a chance to experience real-life operations. The challenge for any intern is to hit the ground running while at the same time ensuring their safety throughout all aspects of being on the job," says Faz. "On top of the real life aircraft experience, students will be challenged with regards to their state of mind - how to deal with pressure, on-time management, and working with team members from different levels of background in handling aircraft defects to assure all airworthiness requirements are met. They are also required to work under unexpected weather conditions to get the aircraft in airworthy condition and to ensure our passengers reach their destination safely."
Nilai U launched the Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering programme in 2008. Besides AirAsia X, Nilai U maintains close ties with a number of other industry partners affording its students a wide choice of venues for them to do their OJT. The EASA exams are also conducted at the Nilai U campus, making this a convenient and cost effective programme with great career options. For more information, please visit www.nilai.edu.my or call 06-8502308 / 03-79603089 / 07-2222336 / 088-238811.
