This allows the academy to award the Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM) Level 3 in Motor Vehicle Inspection to experienced technical workers in the automotive industry.
According to Carsome co-founder and Carsome Academy director Teoh Jiun Ee, the accreditation is the first step towards establishing a gold standard in motor vehicle inspection within the automotive sector.
Teoh said Carsome Academy aims to build and upskill the automotive workforce through technical education and industrial training.
“With that, we hope to develop a highly-skilled and industry-ready workforce in the Southeast Asian automotive industry.
“Our long-term goal is to become the centre of excellence for industry gold standard in the automotive sector, subsequently becoming an automotive industry game-changer while spearheading the used car market at the same time,” he said.
He added that the RPA programme allows Carsome Academy to provide an opportunity to experienced workers to gain industry-recognised certification in a short period of time, particularly in a growing used car market such as Malaysia, where the used car sales are set to break the two-decade high record of 400,000 units this year.
“We recognise there is a skills gap and a need to develop a highly-skilled and industry-ready workforce, one which is in line with the sophistication of the current vehicle technology and meets the demand for automotive service and repair.
“At an industry level, the recent accreditation helps ensure we are narrowing this skills gap,” he said.
Shortages of technical and core skills have long been identified to be one of the biggest challenges faced by employers in Malaysian industries, and this not only poses a threat to the competitiveness of the sector, it also poses a barrier to the employability of workers.
“As we see more players foraying into the used car business, there will be an increased demand for vehicle inspectors.
“As such, Carsome Academy, through our offerings, is in the best position to plug the gaps in demand for certified skilled workers,” said Teoh.
All Carsome inspectors will be certified under the RPA programme, in line with Carsome’s continuous efforts in moving the Southeast Asian automotive industry forward through assurance and transparency in the professional technical workforce.
The RPA programme will also help other technical workers in the automotive industry to gain certification or recognition, depending on their work experience.
Carsome Academy offers industry-oriented training programmes to Malaysian youths in building up a technical workforce that strives for the best standards in professionalism and ethics, and also awarding government- and industry-recognised certification to technical workers who do not have formal qualifications but are able to demonstrate skills that have been outlined in the National Occupational Skills Standards (NOSS) based on working experience and achievements.
Even those with no experience can be part of the Motor Vehicle Inspection (Roadworthiness) course at Carsome Academy, which is a year-long programme for school leavers or inexperienced individuals looking to gain skills in motor vehicle inspection.
They would need to attend three months of theoretical lessons at Carsome Academy, followed by nine months of hands-on training at a Carsome Inspection Centre.
Upon successful completion, they will graduate with Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM) Level 3 qualifications, on top of securing job placement with Carsome.
Carsome Academy offers Malaysian youths industry-oriented training programmes which combine institutional and workplace training.
Students will undergo 30% theoretical lessons at Carsome Academy, followed by 70% industrial training at any Carsome Inspection Centre in Malaysia.
Upon graduation, students will receive the SKM Level 3 in Motor Vehicle Inspection and guaranteed job placement with Carsome.
The one-year course costs RM8,000 and is fully refundable upon a graduate’s successful placement and tenure with Carsome.
In the future, Carsome Academy will be introducing more new courses intended to create more all-rounded technical professionals in the Southeast Asian automotive industry.
It is also looking at collaborating with automotive industry players to enhance its offerings as well as career opportunities for students.
The academy also plans to roll out in Indonesia and Thailand by next year.