Double celebration as it also produces first batch of graduates.

 

It was a tale of two celebrations for Feruni Tiling Academy (FTA) at its Petaling Jaya retail store. The seven-month-old academy entered the Malaysia Books of Records (MBR) as the First Corporate Tiling Academy, and at the same time, celebrated the graduation of its first batch of students. “We are extremely proud that FTA has achieved two milestones in such a short time since we launched the programme in early 2017. “We want this profession to be a career that people would be proud of – not just for the students, but everyone,” said Feruni Ceramiche managing director Datuk C.C. Ngei. The academy was established by Feruni Ceramiche as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative with the aim to improve the lives of the community and transform the tiling industry. It was a collaborative effort with Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Holdings Sdn Bhd, Akademi Binaan Malaysia (ABM), Mapei Malaysia and Pavire (M) Sdn Bhd. FTA offers a six-month intensive training programme focusing on tile installation methodology and best practices whereby students will receive a certification endorsed by CIDB Holdings Sdn Bhd through ABM upon graduation. “The academy is still new and we couldn’t have done it without the full support of our collaborative partners,” said FTA dean Nancy Chuah.

 

In line with one of Feruni’s core purposes of contributing to the community, FTA aims to achieve sustainability by equipping underprivileged groups with professional technical skills to transform their lives. Graduate Muhammad Amirul Aiman Mohd Jusoh, 21, said he learned basic tiling skills and construction work at his vocational college but in FTA, they taught him more advanced skills. Present at the graduation ceremony were ABM Central region chief operating officer Dolkipli Saian, MBR chief operating officer Christopher Wong, Mapei Malaysia managing director Seow Aik Guan and Pavire Malaysia Sdn Bhd founder Liew Yuen Tang. Also present were Feruni Ceramiche Sdn Bhd general manager Gidget Lim, Benchrisda Associates Sdn Bhd executive chairman and FTA governing council members chairman Dr Ong See Lian and CIDB Malaysia chief operating officer Abd Latif Hatim.

 

Two intakes are available each year in March/April and September/October. For details, visit www.feruni.com/fta