MISC Integrated Annual Report 2020

PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT Key Developments For Seafarers As one of the leading global providers of international energy related maritime solutions and services, with a modern and diversified fleet of vessels, a significant portion of our human capital comprise seafarers who execute our business strategies on the high seas. Our pool of seafaring employees is managed by our integrated marine services subsidiary, Eaglestar. In order to ensure a sustainable pool of seafarers with the right skills sets and knowledge to perform their jobs well, Eaglestar has in place a comprehensive human resource management programme specifically for seafarers. Among the initiatives in place are employees training and re-training programmes, and talent development and succession planning initiatives that seek to enhance employees competency levels, as well as improve and expand their proficiency and capabilities across various aspects of the business and operations. In 2020, Eaglestar invested a total of RM41 million in training and development programmes for seafarers. Through our career development programme, we enabled career development pathways for seafarers especially female cadets to prepare them to take up leadership roles. We employed a multiskilling approach in our talent development strategy to focus on development programmes that built and expanded our crew capabilities to ensure that they are equipped with the right set of skills to operate more than one type of vessels i.e. very large ethane carriers (VLECs), LNG bunkering vessel (LBV), LNG carriers (LNGCs), LNG dual-fuel and eco-friendly petroleum tankers and dynamic positioning shuttle tankers (DPSTs), LNG floating storage units (FSUs) and modular capture vessels (MCVs). Over the years, many of our Navigating Officers and Engineer Officers onboard our managed vessels progressed from cadets to officers. We provide opportunities for our seafarers to transition on to a shore-based career. Our seafarers are exposed to shore development training whereby they go through a six month to a year based training in office-based tasks in order to understand the requirements of shore management of vessels and other related functions. This training effectively prepares them for transition from sea to shore careers. To ensure high retention rates, we have in place unified Term and Conditions across our fleet, covering compensation packages that properly remunerate our people. In order to develop a sustainable pool of future seafaring talent, Eaglestar and ALAM are collaborating to develop a pool of dedicated and specialised crew. In 2020, Eaglestar in collaboration with shipowners, provided cadet sponsorship for 139 students at ALAM. The following presents key highlights of our seafarer development programmes in 2020. • First virtual Junior Officers’ Focus Seminar (JOFS) In conjunction with the Day of the Seafarer, Eaglestar kicked off our very first virtual Junior Officers’ Focus Seminar (JOFS) which was broadcast live from two locations simultaneously, namely Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. More than 80 junior officers on shore joined virtually from various part of the world to participate live in this forum. Captain Raja Sager, Managing Director/CEO of Eaglestar took the opportunity to share about Eaglestar’s business outlook for 2020. The seminar also covered current industry trends and challenges which was delivered by several Eaglestar colleagues. Before the conclusion of the Seminar, a light celebration was held to pay tribute to all Seafarers in conjunction with the Day of the Seafarer. The virtual JOFS certainly provided a new and refreshing experience in this new normal. • Continuing with our talent development programme We designed and rolled out our seafarer development programmes as planned. These included structured multiskilling training programme for deck and engine officers to acquire skills and certification for operating multiple types of vessels. In response to restrictions in conducting physical and face-to- face activities, we provided webinars and online trainings to ensure that our workforce remained technically and functionally ready to meet the emerging technologies and non-conventional shipping environment. Similarly, we utilised virtual interviews to recruit and promote our seafarers, both locally and globally. Through structured programmes that emphasize on operational excellence, fleet performance has maintained vessel availability for trading more than 99% as reflected on the operational scorecard with lesser downtime. The dual-skilling and multiskilling programmes also enabled Eaglestar to successfully deliver four DPSTs, one LBV and one VLEC vessels in 2020. The engineering and technical teams who were on assignment to shipbuilding sites in China and Korea were able to enhance their knowledge of new technologies during their assignment. This is a significant factor in Eaglestar’s ability to better manage and positively contribute towards design and technological efficiencies in our newbuilds. • Obtaining mandatory certificates Despite the challenges faced during the pandemic situation, we were able to obtain the required certification for our vessels and crew. This was achieved as institutions slowly resumed their operations and converted their classroom courses to virtual online courses wherever practical. With proper certification and licenses in place, we were able to promote cross-functional and interfleet mobility among seafarers in order to broaden their functionality and leadership skills. • Supporting seafarers mental wellbeing during the pandemic To help our people, a seafarer survey was conducted to gauge their mental health as a result of the pressure they were under due to the difficulties of the pandemic. We went out of our way to identify personnel who exhibited signs of depression or anxiety, and provided them the support, assistance and, where necessary, any intervention they required. As a result of the pandemic, the global maritime sector is undergoing a crew change crisis, where a huge number of seafarers are stranded working onboard vessels beyond the period of their initial contracts. Along with over 300 other companies and organisations in the maritime supply chain, MISC has signed the Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change, to bring a resolution to this crisis. More details can be found in our Special Feature: Our Response to COVID-19 on page 82 of this Integrated Annual Report. • ‘The Platform’ Talk Series In addition to conducting training programmes, our Human Resource Learning and Development Team continued with a series of inspirational talks throughout the year known as ‘The Platform Series’. The platform aims to inculcate social learning by inviting distinguished speakers to share their personal stories related to our cultural beliefs and leadership competencies to inspire and impact others positively. Extract of topics covered in 2020 included the following: • Making an Impact and Rising Up to the Challenge. • Tell Me – How to accept feedbacks • Unconscious Biasness ///// Sustainability / Financial Review / Business Review / Leadership / Governance /// MISC Berhad / Integrated Annual Report 2020 7 200 MISC Berhad / Integrated Annual Report 2020 7 201 /// Governance / Leadership / Business Review / Financial Review / Sustainability ///// Section Section