Malaysia ministry of education selects IMI expertise for training in electrical and hybrid vehicle maintenance

The Institute of Motor Industry (IMI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Malaysia Ministry of Education.  Central to the MOU is the delivery of training support across a network of community colleges in Malaysia to enhance the skills of automotive professionals, particularly focusing on the growing footprint of electric and hybrid vehicles.

“The Malaysian government has called for the country’s retail motor industry to upgrade the skills and capabilities of its workforce to support the growth potential of the sector”, explained Steve Nash, CEO of the Institute of Motor Industry.  “And this is particularly focused on hybrid and electric vehicles which, with their tax free advantages in Malaysia, have grown significantly in the last few years, as evidenced by the fact that there are now more than 20,000 such vehicles on the country’s roads. 

“The introduction of greater levels of expertise therefore represents huge potential to add value to after-sales services by motor retailers, providing they are effectively equipped to cope with this new technology.

“The MOU with the Malaysia Ministry of Education is to train candidates on hybrid and electric vehicles, utilising a network of community colleges, with a target of training 1,000 candidates in the next 12 months.   It is tremendously exciting to be involved in such a key development and we hope to use this as the template for other countries in the coming years.”

The MOU was announced at Malaysia’s Life Long Learning Carnival at the end of 2013 as part of the launch of a technology centre for hybrid and electric vehicles. 

With the current focus in the Malaysian automotive industry on raising standards, the IMI believes it can play a central role in giving local training providers the very best qualifications and accreditations for their candidates. By partnering with a recognised and trusted awarding organisation such as IMI Awards, a centre is guaranteeing the quality of trainers, equipment, internal verification and external verification.

“Malaysia’s automotive industry has a strong existing workforce and has the talent to grow by leaps and bounds” concluded Steve Nash.  “But it is critical that this workforce is equipped to handle the emerging technologies that are being adopted across the sector.  By helping employees to upgrade their skills and capabilities through IMI qualifications and accreditations, Malaysia’s retail motor industry stands to gain from an empowered workforce.”