DEGREES and professional certificates tailored to the water industry will be offered next year under the “Water University” model launched by Air Selangor, Universiti Selangor (Unisel) and Selangor Technical Skills Development Centre (STDC).
The model, which Air Selangor says is the first of its kind in Malaysia, focuses on talent development, building skills that match industry needs and preparing a future-ready workforce.
“The ‘Water University’ model will create a comprehensive ecosystem encompassing human capital, skills and industry training for Air Selangor and the entire national water supply services industry,” said Air Selangor chief executive officer Adam Saffian Ghazali at the launch in Shah Alam.
The idea, he said, was to link what was learnt in the lecture hall with real work experience.
The programmes would also open opportunities for young people in Selangor to build careers in the water industry while allowing existing workers to upgrade their skills, he said.
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, who launched the collaboration, said conventional training approaches were no longer enough.
“We do not want to produce a workforce that excels only in theory but is less prepared in practice.”
He added that the partnership used a “triple helix” approach that brought together the government, industry and educational institutions.
Under the Air Selangor-Unisel partnership, three programmes will be introduced from 2027.
These are: Professional Certification in Water Supply Management Technology; Bachelor of Civil Engineering Technology via work-based learning; and Master of Engineering in Water Supply Management Technology.
Unisel president and vice-chancellor Emeritus Prof Datuk Dr Hassan Basri said the master’s programme would be offered online to allow working professionals a chance to study without leaving their jobs.
He added that Unisel and Air Selangor hoped to extend these programmes to industry partners across Asean.
“As a university owned by Selangor government, Unisel is committed to ensuring that higher education not only produces qualified graduates, but also develops professionals with skills aligned with actual industry needs,” said Prof Hassan.
The STDC partnership will focus on the Malaysian Skills Certificate through five programmes, including non- revenue water operations, drone operations and dam safety management.
Non-revenue water refers to treated water lost before reaching paying consumers due to leaks, pipe bursts, theft or faulty meters.
STDC chief executive officer Dr Harizal Hamid said the collaboration would develop job-ready technical talent tailored to the water industry evolving needs.
The launch also featured interactive display booths from the collaborating parties.
