Curtin Sarawak offering new Diploma of Instrumentation and Control Engineering course from July 2011

Miri – 15 June 2011 – Due to growing demand from industry, particularly from the oil and gas and manufacturing industries, Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) is offering a new Diploma of Instrumentation and Control Engineering course (course code UEE510010) in its new semester commencing July 2011.

The course is being conducted by Curtin Sarawak’s School of Foundation and Continuing Studies in collaboration with the Central Gippsland Institute of TAFE (GippsTAFE) in Melbourne, Australia. GippsTAFE also supports Curtin Sarawak in conducting its ongoing Diploma of Process Plant Technology (Oil Industry) course.

The Diploma of Instrumentation and Control Engineering has been designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge required to install, set up, test, develop, select, commission, maintain and diagnose faults or malfunctions of equipment and systems for the measurement, recording, monitoring and control of physical or chemical phenomenon and related process control systems.

They will also gain skills and knowledge in occupational health and safety, teamwork, technical drawing, scheduling, specification and report writing, and research, in addition to instrumentation and electrical installations and systems.

As the course prepares students for self-directed application of skills and knowledge based on elementary principles and multifaceted procedures, they will be equipped with the competence to demonstrate initiative and decision making across an extensive scope of technical and management roles.

Diploma of Instrumentation and Control Engineering graduates will be able to work for industries with automated processes, with the goal of improving system productivity, reliability, safety, optimisation and stability.

According to Beena Girdharan, Dean of the School of Foundation and Continuing Studies, a career in instrumentation provides outstanding remuneration and attractive employability prospects, particularly in light of the shortage of qualified technicians in the field locally and demand from the oil and gas industry, as well as industries being established in the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).

“If you’d like to work as an instrumentation technician, you may do so in a variety of industries. Instrumentation technicians work in chemical plants, petroleum refineries, canneries and food-processing plants and other businesses that control and monitor air and water pollution. They conduct tests on electrical systems in support of electrical engineers and engineering technologists,” she said.

She added that these industries require extremely precise measuring and monitoring equipment to regulate flow and pressure rates, keep track of production, manage power use and ensure safety.

The former Vice Chancellor of Curtin University and now consultant for the Sarawak state government on manpower requirements for SCORE, Dato’ Professor Lance Twomey, on a visit to the Curtin Sarawak campus yesterday, also lauded the merits of the course.

“The industries in SCORE would be pleased to see more courses such as the Diploma of Instrumentation and Control Engineering being offered as they would be in line with the manpower and technical requirements of the industries. By matching its student profiles to its strengths in engineering, science and technical education, Curtin Sarawak is well positioned to meet their requirements,” he said.

The Diploma of Instrumentation and Control Engineering comprises 8 modules and is delivered over two years’ full-time or equivalent part-time study. Applications for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) are assessed on an individual basis.

Enrolment for the first intake is now open. StartUp Week (orientation) for new enrolments will be from 18 to 22 July, and classes will commence on 25 July 2011. For enquiries or enrolment, call Curtin Sarawak’s Student Recruitment Department at +60 85 443 939, or by fax to +60 85 443 838, or by e-mail to enquiries@curtin.edu.my.  More information of Curtin Sarawak can be obtained by visiting its website at www.curtin.edu.my.

Diploma of Instrumentation and Control Engineering: A course designed to meet the needs of industry