March 18 – UWC Holding Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of UWC Berhad, an integrated engineering support services provider, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Manipal International University to develop and nurture engineering students in the state.

The signee representing Manipal was its vice-chancellor Prof Dr Patrick Kee, while for UWC Berhad was its executive director Datuk Ng Chai Eng.

The historic agreement was witnessed by state Youth and Sports Committee chairman Soon Lip Chee.

“It is a great honour to be here to witness this important ceremony which will see two extremely important players, namely from the education and industrial sectors, move forward in this strategic collaboration in lifelong education and career development for the youth of Penang.

“Manipal will offer programmes in the field of engineering and biotechnology, as well as develop an additional syllabus tailored to UWC’s engineering elements that will be included in selected programmes.

“The uniqueness of this partnership will offer opportunities for our industry players to channel their real-world industry needs and requirements with Manipal while developing education programmes and training curricula to groom graduates to be industry-ready.

“Now, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone whose dedication and efforts have contributed to the finalisation of this MoU signing,” Soon said during the MoU signing ceremony at UWC Berhad in Batu Kawan today.

Meanwhile, Kee from Manipal said the collaboration is part of an effort to ensure graduates are equipped with the right skillset to not only support the industry but also to be relevant and employable.

“A vibrant industry is the backbone of a strong economy and you cannot have a vibrant industry without a supportive ecosystem, which includes the supply of right talent for the industry,” he added.

On the other hand, Ng from UWC described the MoU as a crucial step to close the gap between the industry and tertiary education institutions.

“We are pleased to work with Manipal on talent development. We hope to continue with our efforts in growing local talent and encourage STEM education among Malaysians,” he added.

Also present during the ceremony was Penang Youth Development Corporation (PYDC) general manager Dr Gwee Sai Ling.

Source : Buletin Mutiara