Young Aces Technical College to Offer Basic Car Maintenance Course - We attended the first one to see how is it conducted

Since it first opened its doors in January 2016, the Young Aces Technical College has been actively pursuing and accepting enrolment of students. Whilst new in the market of automotive technical training, the college, through its trained teaching staff aims to develop highly skilled and professional specialists who are well rounded and are ready to serve Malaysia as well as the region’s growing automotive industry. 

The programmes currently on offer for students are approved by The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) from the United Kingdom (UK) and the Malaysian government’s Jabatan Pembangunan Kemahiran (JPK) or roughly translated as the Skills Development Department. The courses accredited at the SKM II & SKM III (Skills Certificate Malaysia) and the IMI (UK) International Level 1 Certificate in Light Vehicle Maintenance and IMI (UK) International Level 2 Diploma in Light Vehicle Maintenance and Repair. With these courses, students can actually receive a certificate that could allow them to work regionally; I suppose the IMI certification could enable a graduate to work abroad if they are willing. The college also has support from industry players like MINTYE, a brake parts manufacturer here in Malaysia.

Anyway, the reason I am writing about Young Aces Technical College is that the college has decided to offer something called ‘The Basic Car Inspection Course’. It will be made available to interested people from July 2017 where everyone can learn basic car maintenance. What participants can learn are how to identify minor problems which will occur on most vehicles (especially their own) and nip them in the bud before they become major mechanical and safety problems. This will save the participants costly repair bills and also gain tips on how to be a better motorist.

The course is divided into theory and also practical so that participants actually try out what was taught in the classroom. This will be conducted at the college’s 35,000sq ft campus/workshop area where cars of various makes are available as test subjects (or some may say victims of the students). 

I was privileged to go through this short, half day course a couple of Saturdays ago over at their centre located in Segambut. We were the lab rats actually. The trial run to see how things could go. It wasn't too bad. Yup, that's Yours Truly (left) trying to listen attentively to the instructor as he explains some stuff to me. 

You would be thought about the basics like how to inspect your car’s engine oil (in terms of oil level as well as quality), your car’s drive belt systems (which help power the air-conditioning, alternator & for some power steering), the car’s cooling system, battery condition, ATF check, wheels & tyres and inspecting the brake system of the car. 

The first hour or so you would be taught in the classroom by one of the instructors and then, later, you head downstairs to the college's clean workshop area to be shown what you have been taught earlier. Of course, you would be asked to do basic stuff like checking all fluid levels as well as a tyre change.

It is pretty straightforward and very useful for the beginner. Not for me actually, since I live, breathe petrol and sometimes diesel. It is however quite good for those that do not know anything about the car except start it and drive – And there were quite a few at the inaugural course which I attended. You’d be surprise that some people have never popped open the bonnet of their car or much less know what the heck is an alternator or a dip stick in the first place. 

I think such short courses like this are good to have. The suggested market for these courses would be car clubs, corporate institutions for the usual employee bonding stuff and for people who want to improve their DIY skills. This is a good half-day worth of activity for a group to have some fun whilst either brushing up on their car maintenance skills or actually learning something new (yet basic) for the first time.

So if any are interested, the college will be able to conduct it from July 2017 provided they receive a minimum of 5 participants registered for each class. It will be conducted on any Saturday suitable for the group at no extra effort to the college as they are open for registration and consultation via appointments on weekends. 

The Young Aces Technical College is located at 48, Persiaran Segambut Tengah, Segambut, 51200 Kuala Lumpur. Their email is enquiry@youngaces.com.my or you can head over to www.youngaces.edu.my for more details on the courses offered.