SG Academy Trains Locals To Fulfil Emerging Drone Market Needs

By HARIZAH HANIM MOHAMED KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 6 (Bernama) -- The increasing use of drones in various local and global sectors requires the development of local talent and this has empowered SG Academy to train drone operators to fill the void in the market, said SG Academy Sdn Bhd (SGA) business development manager Muhammad Syafiq Salleh. He highlighted that SGA, which is an operator of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes, gives full focus to the development of local talent and the improvement of skills and re-skilling for every level of society including students, graduates and even individuals who have been laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “SGA sees that there is an increasing demand to recognise and understand drone technology and the use of drones is not only limited to taking videos and photos, but it also involves other sectors of interest such as logistics, construction and agriculture. “Now there is the delivery of goods in urban areas using drones. In fact, the progress of construction projects can be monitored through drones and in agriculture, drones are used to spray pesticides in rice fields, oil palm plantations and durian orchards,” he told Bernama. Muhammad Syafiq emphasised that drone technology is an important aspect of controlling the borders of the country’s waters. SGA also offers other programmes including mechatronics, computing systems, creative multimedia and culinary arts. The Kuala Lumpur-based academy has trained a total of 600 professional drone operators in various aspects including operating and repairing drones across various sectors throughout 2020-2022. “We have also established close cooperation with the Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC), particularly in drone technology, where MTDC provides facilities and office space to SGA to widely develop drone technology and research,” he said. He further said that MTDC also gives full support to SGA in the local and international markets through promotional events in various industries. SGA is among six companies that are part of the Center of 9 Pillars (Co9P), which was created to develop Industry 4.0 (I4.0) to enhance the technological growth of small and medium-sized enterprises. The nine pillars of I4.0 in Co9P consist of autonomous robot, simulation, system integration, internet of things, cyber security, cloud computing, additive manufacturing, big data and augmented reality. Commenting on the rapid development of technology, Muhammad Syafiq said this gives young people the opportunity to compete and gain new skills. “They should start by identifying the problems around them and build solutions using technology and I believe young people can compete healthily and create better products,” he said. -- BERNAMA