Malaysian-based oil and gas service company, Sapura Energy Berhad, is one of the country leading multi-national-company that recognises the importance of gender diversity and is committed to achieving it in the workplace.
Since 2000, Malaysia’s female workforce has increased from 47.2 per cent to 54 per cent in 2017. Increasing female employment rates have contributed 14 per cent to Malaysia’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth from 2011 to 2016.
As one of the world’s largest integrated oil and gas services and solution providers, Sapura Energy have been taking initiative to increase the number of working women following the governments 11th Malaysia Plan which included the key priority to improve the female labour participation rate to 59 per cent by 2020.
According to the company’s annual report, Sapura Energy has contributed towards this growth with females comprising 30 per cent of the full-time workforce, employed in technical and professional expertise roles such as engineering, account managers, and HR executives.
Women hold 18 per cent of the senior management positions, including Independent Non-Executive Director Gee Siew Yoong, and Senior Vice President of Financial Advisory and Portfolio Planning Chow Mei Mei, with the company having optimistic views that more roles will be obtained by women in the future.
Vice President of Operations and Maintenance Services, Rose Mat, encourages women to join the oil and gas industry. “Go for it. Do what you love doing. If you love what you are doing, you will be able to harmonise your career and personal life wonderfully.
“To achieve this, access to education is vital. Sapura Energy hires women in line with their core values of gender equality and employee management and community development,” she said.
The International Monetary Fund, (IMF) stated that education is key in improving the rates of women in the workforce, as more women have enrolled in university education than men. Sapura Energy provides education opportunities for women through training programs such as on-going career development programmes to enhance employee skill sets, technical and soft skills training.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales works with Sapura Energy to provide a four-year program allowing young graduates to study part-time for the Chartered Accountant qualification while working with Sapura Energy’s Group Finance and Strategy as well as Financial Advisory and Portfolio Planning.
Sapura Energy states their goal is to provide ongoing ‘equal opportunities for all employees and to administer workplace governance in a fair and respected manner’. Sapura Energy enforces this message through having a global presence in more than 20 countries and over 35 nationalities within their workforce.
This positive development will enable women to join a predominately male industry, offering positions in corporate, engineering and construction, drilling, and exploration and production.
Sapura Energy under the leadership of its visionary Chief Executive Officer, Tan Sri Shahril Shamsuddin will continue to lead by example creating more opportunities and supporting the career development of women.
