Engineered for Success

by Johana Hassan

Make the most of your Automotive Engineering degree with a structured Professional Development Programme developed by the Lotus School of Engineering. S.C. Chua writes.

With the pool of graduates so saturated, how do you ensure you get noticed? This is where the Lotus School of Engineering can make the difference, says Redzwan Abas, Head of Human Resource, Asia Pacific, of Lotus Engineering.

When the North-South Expressway (NSE) became fully operational in 1994, Malaysians began to enjoy a higher level of motor travel.

“The Lotus School of Engineering (LSE) was established to develop local engineering graduates in the principles of automotive engineering and quality systems. To date, we have successfully trained our own graduate engineers and are now using them on live client automotive design programmes.. “Lotus Engineering Malaysia (Lotus) has invested heavily in facilities and curriculum, including forming a strategic partnership with iKSTATA and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) to offer flexible and internationally-recognised Professional Development Programmes. Major automotive OEMs have also approached us to form strategic Professional Development partnerships to train and develop their automotive engineers.

“With an industry-focused and professionally-certified qualification attained from this programme, organisations can immediately identify the right talents and increase productivity with proven expertise in advanced and state-of-the-art automotive technology,” he says.

Redzwan adds that the industry is facing a shortage of highly-skilled talent, hence the programme is definitely a move in the right direction to ensure more automotive engineers

Organisations can recommend their staff to be admitted into the programme, but it is advisable that candidates possess, among other attributes, the determination to succeed as the programme is very challenging. “It really depends on whether you can excel and grasp the knowledge that is given to you. But at the end of the day, this qualification will be your ticket to a better future.”

INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN

Backed by its excellent motoring reputation and tradition, Lotus is promoting its Professional Development Programme in other countries. At the moment, it is available locally, and in the Middle East, China and Hong Kong.

There are two methods of admission into the programme: through recommendation by your organisation or directly through Lotus. Lotus also admits permanent staff and students under government-sponsored graduate programmes, but without a guarantee of employment upon completion.

Applicants will first be appraised on current skills and knowledge to ensure they are of a sufficient level to enable them to undergo the Automotive Engineering Design and CATIA V5 Training Programme.

If you are accepted into the programme, LSE will then conduct a Gap Analysis of your skills to provide a tailor-made development programme that meets the requirements of the company you are working for.

The basic objective is to introduce the principles of engineering involved in the making of a car that meet today’s standards of aesthetics, comfort and safety. The different sections of the programme will largely be based on styling, body/structures, powertrain and chassis engineering, interior/exterior trim, manufacturing engineering and quality systems.

THE DEVELOPMENTAL PHASES/LEVELS

The Professional Development Programme consists of three levels:

* Graduate Training Level 1 * Graduate Training Level 2 * SAE-Approved Certification Level 3 Graduate Training Level 1 involves exploring basic vehicle systems and state-of-the-art design software. Students will first undergo a five-day basic vehicle systems course followed by a basic software training programme to familiarise them with automotive design processes and their related design software.

From there, they will undertake five different modules that will provide them with the necessary knowledge of each part that is essential in developing a car. After completing the five modules, students will undergo onthe- job training where they will be given the opportunity to work on real projects.

The graduates will then be required to attend the next level of classroom training on Advanced Vehicle Systems. This phase consists of modules such as Design for Manufacturing, Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE), Packaging and Electrical Systems, on top of the core modules at the advanced levels (Body/Structures, Interior/Exterior Trim, Powertrain/ Chassis, etc). Upon completion, graduates would ideally return to on-the-job training to apply what they have learnt and to get more exposure to working on real automotive projects.

Depending on their performance, they may be recommended to pursue the next level – SAE-Approved Certification. At this phase, students will be required to complete a 120-hour Automotive Essentials course. Students must pass this course before sitting for the next module, which will be based on their areas of expertise.

“It is a combination of intensive classroom lectures and on-the-job training, and you will be required to pass an extremely difficult examination. It is not easy! But it will definitely help recent graduates in automotive engineering bridge the knowledge gap between theory and industry application of tools and processes.”

However, despite the tough challenges, he says this qualification is one of the best to have in the automotive industry. “This structured Professional Development programme is what you will need to advance in your career.” Ready to make that extra effort to drive your career fast-forward? Then check out what Lotus has to offer.

ABOUT LOTUS ENGINEERING

Lotus Engineering is an internationally recognised automotive engineering consultancy based in Norfolk, UK. Global facilities include those in Michigan (USA), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), China and offices in Germany and Japan, with rapid expansion in new territories such as South East Asia..

Lotus Engineering provides comprehensive and versatile consultancy services to many of the world’s OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, offering a full engineering service from initial concept and project design through development and integration of complete vehicle to meet all worldwide markets and customers, to full production. This includes third party “niche vehicle” engineering and manufacture worldwide.