At ALC College, the education arm of PKT Logistics Group, students get practical industrial experience that help bridge the gap between theory and practice, writes JOY LEE.

COLLEGE is not just a place where you learn the theories of a discipline. It’s also an important period to gain experiences, build relationships, pick up skills and foster positive values.

And that’s something that the students at ALC College, the education arm of PKT Logistics Group, have come to appreciate.

In the beginning, first-year students, Soon Chia Chi, Siew Chun Hong, Esprey Toh, Soban Raaj and Emy Elisa, made the decision to pursue their tertiary education at ALC because of the fun environment and the impressive facilities at the corporate campus located at PKT’s hub in Klang.

Now, months later, these students, who are currently pursuing diplomas in either logistics, business or accounting, say the learning experience at ALC goes beyond just fancy facilities and fun.

They particularly like JBSB (Jom Bekerja Sambil Belajar), a programme by PKT which gives students the opportunity to work part-time at the company’s warehouse, finance and human resource departments to gain relevant experience in the field.

And they get paid for it too.

“What we do here is practical. Before JBSB, we didn’t really know anything,” says Soon.

“We attended classes, and it was a lot of industrial-type of talks and terminologies that we didn’t fully understand. But JBSB really helps,” she adds.

Emy concurs, noting that she has learned a lot more about logistics industry through JBSB.

PKT chief executive officer Datuk Michael Tio reckons the students at ALC won’t just pick up a degree at graduation, but also a credible CV.

Many of PKT’s culture and practices are reflected in ALC, given its location within PKT’s premises.

For example, Soon notes that PKT, as well as the college, fosters an honest culture, and because of that, “I’m not so worried about where I leave my things around”.

Toh, who is taking a diploma in business studies, also values the experience of being an entrepreneur while studying at ALC.

The student-run Lighthouse shop within the premises, for example, enables them to learn how to allocate their budget, stock and resources to ensure a successful business.

Students are also expected to find innovative ways to run the business and not just do the business-as-usual,

“We also learn how to behave in front of other entrepreneurs because PKT receives a lot of visitors from other corporations. So we get to talk to other entrepreneurs,” adds fellow business student, Siew.

Besides giving them a taste for entrepreneurship, ALC also teaches the students to give back to society — a value that PKT’s Tio emphasises.

Although ALC is a small college, with a capacity for just 400 students, that’s not viewed by the students as a negative. Soban says it helps them to stay tight.

“It’s like a family here where we know each other well. And we have to learn to respect one another,” he says.

The students at ALC are certainly enjoying their learning experience here. Soon and Siew say their educational experience is definitely more interesting when compared to other educational institutions where all they do is “study and meet friends”.

Now that they are familiar with the PKT culture, would they continue on in PKT after graduation?

“Why not?” Soban replies without missing a beat.