THE Ship Campus, which is the first ever campus in Penang to be located inside an industrial park, is expected to be fully operational by early next year.
Once operational, it will be home to Peninsula College, the education arm of PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd, and can accommodate up to 4,000 students and 1,000 employees.
The group’s chief executive and managing director Datuk Michael Tio said the campus is now waiting for the Certificate of Compliance and Completion (CCC) before being allowed to open.
“Basically, the construction works of the campus, which began in 2017, had already been completed.
“The only thing left now is some final touches to the interior design which is expected to be fully completed within a few more weeks. After that, everything will be completed.
“Earlier, we expected to get the CCC in March and start to operate in May this year but the matter has been postponed due to the implementation of the movement control order (MCO) to curb the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.
“So now, we just have to wait for the CCC. Once we get it, we will submit the CCC to the Education Ministry for approval to run the campus,” he told reporters during an exclusive press tour at the campus yesterday (Aug 6).
The Ship Campus is a project by PKT Logistics Group under the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme with the aim of bridging the gap between academia and industry.
The RM160 million state-of-the-art campus also features an open deck, terraces and a retail walking street called ‘The Grand Promenade’ like those found on modern cruise ships.
It is also equipped with student residences that consist of four blocks.
Other accommodations such as a library, administration offices, gym, auditorium, and co-working spaces are also available at the campus.
According to Tio, the campus offers certificate and diploma programmes and partners with University of Plymouth in United Kingdom to offer university programmes such as bachelor’s degree.
“Our courses range from logistics management, business management, accountancy, tourism, computer studies to engineering.
“We provide the courses that are the most required by the industry in order to increase the employment rate once the students graduated.
“Once operational, the campus will also serve the start-up and SME community of Batu Kawan and thus will open up job opportunities for locals.
“At the same time, we are giving scholarships as well but only to Penangites for now.
“For further details, visit https://peninsulacollege.edu.my/,” he added.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhamad