An interview with Eng Soon Min from Batu Caves, Selangor who is pursuing the Advanced Diploma in Aircraft Engineering at Nilai University after completing his Diploma. The Advanced Diploma is equivalent to the degree and is conferred by Kingston University, UK.

Eng Soon Min gave up a steady income with a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) organisation based in the old Subang Airport to further his studies. The graduate of Nilai University’s Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering programme says that losing his income for one year is a small price to pay.

In fact, it was his work experience that opened his eyes to the need for more knowledge in the field of aircraft maintenance. The young lad registered for the Advanced Diploma in Aircraft Engineering (which acts as a one year top up for Kingston University’s BSc (Hons) in Aircraft Engineering).

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You graduated from Nilai University (Nilai U) in Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering and landed yourself a job.

Why do you return here to further your studies in Advanced Diploma in Aircraft Engineering?
I did my On-The-Job-Training (OJT) with a smaller organisation and was retained by them. During my two years there, I was asked to do many things besides maintenance work, as is the case with smaller outfits. All staff are expected be multi-taskers. It was then did I realise that there so much more to learn about this industry. I had to do planning, warehousing and quality assurance, areas which are covered in Nilai U’s Advanced Diploma programme.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a very hands-on person and enjoy doing maintenance work. But I would like to have the option of venturing into other areas as well.

Why is taking a step ahead with this Advanced Diploma important to you?

Too many students seem to think that getting a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) license is the be all, end all. Of course, getting the license is very important. That will take three to five years working experience. But getting a degree is only an additional year and I am confident that employers will notice someone with a degree when interviewing potential candidates. I can work anywhere in the world with this degree and that makes it very worthwhile. I’m already planning to do Masters in Aircraft Engineering. I read in a newspaper that the Kingston University degree will allow me to pursue a Masters

degree, having a Masters will give me the option of entering the world of academia.

What is your advice to school leavers who would like to join aviation field, especially Aircraft Maintenance?

Don’t join the programmes because they have cool-sounding names. In the field of aircraft maintenance, you will be responsible for people’s lives. The tiniest mistake or oversight can cause many deaths. Because of this, airlines and

MRO organisations will only pick the best candidates, and having a degree is an effort to prove that he is worthy addition to their team. I believe that there are many opportunities in the aircraft maintenance industry. To those with a strong foundation in physics and like to work with their hands, do give the Nilai U programmes serious consideration.

What is the best part of being involved in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering in Malaysia?

Having worked for two years in this industry, I can tell you there it is a very challenging and exciting field. There is no greater satisfaction that seeing a plane you worked on and inspect takes off and make its journey safely.

The Advanced Diploma in Aircraft Engineering is a one year top up programme being offered to students who have completed their Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering programme from Nilai U or EASA license holder in category B. This

programme allows the student to progress and gain a higher level of understanding in several areas, including in aerospace technology which takes their understanding beyond the basics.

Students also gain career beneficial exposure from a number of management-oriented, business applications and quality modules. The qualification gained will prepare the graduate with skills to manage a team and ability to deal with uncertainties.

Nilai University launched its Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering in 2007 and has built a dedicated on-campus hangar to house a King Beech twin turbine aircraft, and the latest, Beechjet 400A – one of the most popular jet aircrafts in the private charter sector and is also one of the fastest in its class. The Advanced Diploma option was launched in response to great demand from students wanting to further their studies.

The graduates of this Advanced Diploma will receive both an advanced diploma from Nilai U and a BSc (Hons) in Aircraft Engineering from Kingston University, UK. If students successfully complete the programme with a second class honours, they can progress on to post-graduate studies in the UK.