Swedish Industrial Company Atlas Copco Opens First Training Academy In Southeast Asia

SHAH ALAM (Selangor, Malaysia), Nov 6 (Bernama) -- Swedish industrial company, Atlas Copco (M) Sdn Bhd, has opened its first South-East Asia (SEA) Training Academy for compressor technique services in Selangor’s Kota Kemuning here Monday. International Trade and Industry Minister II, Ong Ka Chuan (pic), said the opening of the academy was a positive move to encourage international firms to widen their investments and operations to Malaysia. “Atlas Copco and Malaysia shared a long-standing partnership since 1982. “The company’s operations begun with just 10 people. Today, it continues to tap into the talents available in the country, whereby 95 per cent of its 150 staff are Malaysians, with some given the opportunity to work in its offices abroad, including Taiwan, Australia, China and Belgium. “I believe that with this academy, our youths will stand to gain more as the company will be offering practical hands-on experience for those with an engineering background,” he told reporters after officiating the opening of the academy here Monday. Also present were Swedish Ambassador to Malaysia, Dag Juhlin-Danfelt and Atlas Copco’s General Manager, Compressor Technique – Malaysia & Singapore, Dereck Devlin. Ong said the academy has two training rooms, a control and monitoring room as well as a compressor room, equipped with various machinery for practical training, aims to develop and increase the competency levels of the company’s technicians. He said other foreign companies operating in Malaysia were also following Atlas Copco’s footsteps, especially investment activities in terms of human capital. Meanwhile, Ong said, Sweden continued to be among Malaysia’s top source of foreign direct investments. “Swedish investments are strong in the machinery and equipment, transport equipment also electrical and electronics sectors. “Some 126 manufacturing projects with Swedish participation, worth RM2.69 billion (US$1 = RM4.24), have been approved and these have created over 8,200 employment opportunities as at June 2017,” he said (photoBERNAMA). -- BERNAMA