share on
Malaysia Avation Group (MAG), which houses Malaysia Airlines, has launched an upskilling and reskilling programme for over 2,000 of its employees.
In a release on Thursday (8 October), the Group said this programme, known as MH EDGILE, would allow employees to create an individual competitive edge, and be agile to drive operational sustainability.
It is mainly for the Airlines' pilots, cabin crew, and other front-line community who have been affected by a reduced network and operational capacity.
Through the programme, these employees will be provided opportunities to reskill and upskill either in specialised competencies such as facilities management and audit, or general and trainable areas such as sales and IT helpdesk.
Most importantly, the release added, the programme enables employees to lend their expertise and services to support the long-term business sustainability of the company, and explore new avenues to grow and develop their potential in MAG.
"Subject to approval, these group of employees will be temporarily re-assigned to support other departments that require workforce for critical roles or job functions resulting from the constrained workforce due to added deliverables and attrition."
Talking about the move behind this programme implementation, Dato' Mohd Khalis Abdul Rahim, Group Chief Human Capital Officer, Malaysia Airlines, said: "We are on our journey to transform MAG employees into future workforce adaptable to new challenges and ready for what lies ahead of us in the post-COVID-19 world.
"At MAG, we strongly believe in developing talents and creating a culture of continuous improvement to drive the long-term business sustainability of the Group."
Dato' Mohd Khalis also noted that the organisation is embracing the 'lean and agile' work culture and digitalisation simultaneously, to take full advantage of the opportunities the new normal has to offer. Therefore, he said, improving work qualities and amplifying learning are central to success.
In the same vein, Captain Izham Ismail, Group Chief Executive Officer of MAG, said, “With the pandemic still showing little sign of improvement, forcing some airlines to halt operations and ground almost fleet, it is important for us to prepare our workforce with new skill sets to become more efficient in their current roles or shift into emerging positions as well as to support the business goals. This is the perfect time for the staff to reinvent themselves.”
The EDGILE initiative is offered on a voluntary basis and is subject to both the job pre-requisites and selection criteria of the receiving department. All assignments will be on a full-time basis; however, employees will still be allowed to maintain their job licence validity.
The period of the interim assignment will be dependent on the company’s business and operational requirements. Employees with the approved application will be equipped with the knowledge and new skill sets through coaching and training, in order to prepare for the new role.
Other initiatives undertaken by MAG this year
Apart from the above, in March this year, MAG introduced the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which was created to provide employees with a holistic (mental, social, emotional, and spiritual) support system, with provide knowledge, tools and insights into being well.
Under the EAP, the Group has to date arranged several initiatives to encourage continuous communications and engagements in adapting to the new working normal.
Additionally, the Group recently embarked on a new MAG Way of Working in mid-2020, "providing employees with the opportunity to transform and become pioneers of the future for the aviation industry, effortlessly online within the remote environment."
In support of employees' mental health, Malaysia Airlines also launched the MHeart application this year, in collaboration with Naluri, as a 24/7 digital platform for employees to interact with coaches, psychologists, and counsellors.
Through the app, employees will have access to daily, personalised coaching and advice to better cope with the new normal.
Established psychologists from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and the US are speaking at the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Conference taking place virtually on 10-12 November. Pre-order your tickets at the conference to gain deep insights into prevalent triggers of poor mental well-being and the support available. Group discounts with three pax or more registrations are available at an attractive price! Speak to Priya Veeriah, Regional Production Manager, to register your team of well-being champions today.
Find out more here.
Photo / 123RF
Human Resources Online is on Telegram! Follow us @humanresourcesonline or click here for all the latest weekly HR and manpower news from around the region.
share on
