GEORGE TOWN: The Ship Campus in Batu Kawan is unique with its potential to secure employability in the industry, says Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin.

Juhar, who is also Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Chancellor, spent two hours touring the campus and said he was impressed with it.

"I've been to many places but this is the first university with a different concept. I'm very pleased and glad to have come.

"Maybe my university can come here and have a look at its different facilities. It is a fantastic university and to me is something very different.

"The potential for its graduates to find employment is great," he said after the tour on Sunday (July 3).

PKT Logistics Group chief executive and managing director Datuk Ser Dr Michael Tio, who hosted Juhar, said by offering programmes to help retrain students from Sabah, graduates would help alleviate labour shortages and provide new talent.

"We are having an acute shortage of labour and wouldn't mind collaborating with UMS if they want to send students to be retrained and placed into industries in Batu Kawan.

"With an array of facilities and accommodation available, Sabahan parents can be assured that their children will be placed in a secure and proper place to do their training for better jobs and higher pay within the Batu Kawan Industrial Park (BKIP)," he said.

Built at a cost of RM160mil, the 28,467sq m nautical-themed campus building aims to become a hub for talent development and entrepreneurship while at the same time, provide food and beverage, and lifestyle facilities in the rapidly developing BKIP.

Boasting a capacity of 4,000 students across its nine decks, PKT's education arm – Peninsula College Malaysia – is now headquartered at the site.