24 UNITEN Students Selected for Company’s Talent Development Programme

Malakoff Corporation Berhad (Malakoff) has awarded 24 promising undergraduates from Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) with placements under the Malakoff-UNITEN Talent Acceleration Programme (MUTAP), as part of its commitment to nurture young Malaysians to become future leaders.

The talent development effort initiated by Malakoff and UNITEN in collaboration with Leaderonomics offers students a year-long experiential learning programme, enabling them to develop new skills including critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, communication, creativity and innovation through hands-on experience as well as coaching sessions.

Speaking at the event, Bani Zainal, Senior Vice President, Corporate Services Division, Malakoff, said, “At Malakoff, we proactively engage with local universities and contribute to the development of young talents through efforts including MUTAP, in line with Malaysia’s vision to invest in human capital as a key enabler to build a knowledge-intensive and high-income nation.”

“Through MUTAP, we hope to nurture our bright graduates for leadership roles with hands-on job experience and ample opportunities to develop their potential. This is part of our commitment to work with local universities to ensure a sustainable pipeline of talent for the industry,” he added.

The year-long MUTAP will adopt a 70-20-10 learning approach, which is a proven methodology to increase learning effectiveness and ensure skills retention as compared to formal training. Students will devote 70% of their time on live and action-based learning projects, supported by 20% mentoring as well as coaching sessions, with the remaining 10% on formal courses and reading.

The selected 24 high achievers are currently in their third and fourth year from the Faculty of Electricity and Electronics, Electrical Power, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Information Technology of UNITEN. Recognising the importance of diversity in any given organisation, Malakoff has also shortlisted four international students from Yemen, Palestine, Sudan, and Jordan to participate in the programme to foster better intercultural communication among the students.

Dato' Prof. Ir. Dr. Ibrahim Hussein, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and Research) said, “We take pride in promoting lifelong and continuous learning in our students as we firmly believe that we need to be constantly exposed to new skills and knowledge in order to remain competitive in today’s economic environment.”

“I applaud Malakoff’s long-term commitment and collaboration in ensuring that our graduates are well equipped with the necessary skills to excel in their careers through various efforts including MUTAP,” he added.

Earlier this month, Malakoff also saw the kick-off of the Leadership Club at UNITEN, which is a key step in driving student engagement. The Club currently comprises 37 students from various faculties and age group pledging to spearhead youth leadership at the university.

Over and above MUTAP, Malakoff initiated the “Share Us Your Love” programme in 2010 as a platform for UNITEN students to conduct a motivation and self-development camp for the children of Rumah Jagaan Siraman Kasih.

The following year, the Company partnered with the graduates again for the project and helped mentor over 200 students from Sekolah Agama Rakyat Al-Ansar, specifically on self-development and religious education.

Elaborating further on the Malakoff’s plan to roll-out the Talent Acceleration Programme, Bani added, “We are looking to expand the programme to other universities. We recognise that talent development is an ongoing process and requires significant time and resources, which Malakoff is committed to offer.”

For more details on these and other initiatives by Malakoff, please visit www.malakoff.com.my