The Work-Based Learning(WBL) students of the Centre of Excellence(CenTHE), enjoying

Kuching, 19 January 2012 - The Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), implemented by the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU), is a comprehensive effort to transform Malaysia into a high-income nation in year 2020. Through the ETP, 12 National Key Economic Area (NKEA) is identified to help Malaysia in achieving high income status. The government of Malaysia has recognised "Education"as one of the most critical drivers for the nation to transform from middle to high income nation due to its impact on the productivity and human capital development with 14 Entry Point Project (EPP) being determined. On top of the 14 EPPs, the government of Malaysia invited UCSI University in leading the EPP 10 to increase Hospitality and Tourism graduates from 16% to 50% in the year 2020 with 50,000 skilled workforce trained annually.

UCSI University, leading the EPP 10 established a Centre of Excellence for Tourism and Hospitality Management (CenTHE)in its Sarawak Campus as the Sarawak Campus houses the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management (FHTM) and organized events or activities regularly with the aims to generate impact in the hospitality and tourism industry. Apart from that,Sarawak Campus is chosen for theestablishment of CenTHE due to its strategic location, which is in "Borneo", the world third largest tropical rainforest island with various international award winning events including the Rainforest World Music Festival (winner of the Heritage and Culture Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award 2006 and Top 25 Best International Festivals by Magazine Songlines 2011), the Borneo Jazz Festival (formerly known as Miri International Jazz Festival), the Sarawak Regatta and many more.

In regard to achieve the EPP 10, which is to trained 50,000 skilled workforces annually, CenTHE at UCSI University, Sarawak Campus revolutionized its programme through the Work-Based Learning (WBL) approach of studies for its Diploma programmes by engaging many key industries such as Pullman Hotel, Riverside Majestic, Grand Margherita, Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) and Sarawak Cultural Village.

The core concept of the WBL programme is to train and nurture the students to be skillful through practical in the key industries instead ofrote academic learning only. Through 80% practices in the industry with the future employers, the WBL graduates are expected to gain 10 times more working experiences than the conventional diploma students as WBL offers full work experience compare to basic exposure from internship in conventional diploma programmes.

Since the WBL programme offers full work experience with the industry, students will study while working with allowance paid by their interim industry employers. The WBL students will gained recognition from the industry and this leads to high employability in their future.

Apart from that, the UCSI University WBL programme is recognized by the Malaysia Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Education (MyCenTHE) with support from the Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Human Resources in Malaysia.

Going through the year 2011, UCSI University, Sarawak Campus had been actively involved in lots of activities and events both locally and internationally. UCSI University took part in the exchange students with one of the higher learning institutions in Denmark --- CELF-The Academy where two Danish students Martin Green and Louise Mia Hansen did their internship and UCSI University taking care of them during their internship from February to April 2011. Besides, two students from UCSI University, Sarawak Campus were selected to participate in the East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum (EATOF) Summer Camp 2011 in QuangNinh Province, Vietnam proved that the university is recognized internationally. Not only that, UCSI University had been actively take part in fulfilling the corporate social responsibility (CSR) by organizing charity dinner and visit the LembagaKebajikanAnak-AnakYatim Sarawak. Another interesting CSR project was done recently by sponsoring two students from Long Lamai to further their tertiary education with UCSI University.

In the effort to successfully carry out the EPP 10 Hospitality and Tourism Discipline Cluster, UCSI University invests to open hotels in Kuching, Kuala Lumpur and Bandar Springhill in Negeri Sembilan. The WBL programmes will be also be conductedin these 4-5 star rating hotels with full commercial operations where all their students will be trained best in academically and practically in one programme.