Added: 2nd November 2023 by Shearwater
At Shearwater, we recognise our responsibility to be a force of good in our community. That has led us to partner with local vocational colleges and universities to provide internship opportunities for students.
Over the course of 6 months, 38 interns joined us from Japan-Malaysia Technical Institute( JMTI) Penang, Advance Technology Training Center (ADTEC) Taiping, Kemaman and Kulim, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Universiti Tul Abdul Razak and Politeknik Tuanku Sultanah Bahiyah.
The goals for the programme were based on the pillars of ESG in our business practices. Shearwater is committed to developing and investing in local talents, giving them an introduction to the work environment, and allowing them to stand out in the future with the job experience gained. This simultaneously allows Shearwater to build a relationship with the local community as it demonstrates our commitment to hiring local talents thus contributing to its local economic growth.
Whilst doing this, Shearwater has also laid the foundation to build a pipeline of future colleagues. Through this program, talents had been identified and cultivated resulting in 30 of the 38 interns being successfully hired as full time employees, with 8 of the students opting to pursue higher education qualifications. This not only helps to develop a future talent pool by providing them with meaningful work experience, but also ensures the long-term sustainability of our business.
The internship program promotes diversity and inclusion, allows students of different backgrounds to gain experience in the workplace – the 38 interns from varying education levels (both diploma and degree) and diverse ethnic backgrounds. Shearwater is committed to employee engagement, giving opportunities for current employees to teach and mentor the interns and for the interns themselves to give a fresh perspective and stimulate innovation.
Interns were given the opportunity to take on improvement projects and supported with completing some projects that were on-hold. This resulted in 12 out of 38 submitted suggestions, via MyCI (an SPC in-house Continuous Improvement program), for process and tooling improvements on the shopfloor which helped to increase productivity and reduce waste, ultimately leading to a sustainable business model for Shearwater.
The impact of these 6 months internship program has been multifaceted and contributes to several dimensions of sustainability, including social, environmental and governance. This program promotes sustainable business practices for the company, develops local talent as well as supports economic growth in the local community, all while contributing to the long-term sustainability and success of our business.
