ConocoPhillips prides itself on being a responsible ‘corporate citizen’, and we strive to make a positive impact across our operations and in the communities in which we operate. We recognize that the most effective corporate philanthropy can be achieved by entering into strategic partnerships with organizations that serve the community, and programs which have lasting social impact.

For this reason, ConocoPhillips has chosen to support the Fulbright English Teaching Assistants (ETA) Program in Sabah and made it our CSR signature program in Malaysia, in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia and the Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE). The ETA program provides opportunities for American college graduates to become English Language Teaching Assistants to teachers in secondary schools throughout the world. It aims to make a difference in children’s education by transforming their approach to learning and teachers’ approach to teaching.

The ETA program is strongly aligned with ConocoPhillips’ CSR commitment towards education. It focuses on invigorating student learning through skills development and mastering the English language through activities. The ETAs who are based in remote and underserved schools of Sabah, bring international knowledge and new perspectives to their schools.

In 2013, ConocoPhillips Malaysia began our partnership with MyKasih through the ‘Love My School’ student bursary program to support school-going children from underprivileged homes and low-income households. The ‘Love My School’ bursary scheme aims to alleviate the burden that disadvantaged families face in providing education for their children. The assistance comes in the form of cashless bursaries which can only be used for the purchase of schoolbooks and stationery from the school bookstore, as well as food and drinks from the school canteen.

Every year, around 330 underprivileged students from six primary schools in Sabah and Sarawak are provided this assistance via a contactless MyKasih student smartcard. We hope that more affordable schooling will stimulate academic success, enabling students to seize better opportunities in the future and break away from the cycle of poverty.

In addition to the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) and MyKasih ‘Love My School” program, ConocoPhillips has been awarding scholarships to Geology students from University Malaya (UM) and Petroleum Engineering students from University Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) since 2006. The objective of the ConocoPhillips Scholarship Award is to encourage the growth of our future leaders through providing access and opportunities for high quality tertiary learning and education.

Another initiative ConocoPhillips has been a part of since 2009, is a program collaborating with the Sabah Society for the Deaf. This program supports hearing impaired children before entering their primary school when government programs are more readily available. The Sabah Society for the Deaf is a non-government charitable organization (NGO) which aims to promote the education, employment, and general welfare of deaf persons in Sabah. With ConocoPhillips’ support to the Society, a library for the children was successfully developed and additional resources were made available for the children.

At ConocoPhillips Malaysia, we truly believe that an educated society is a stable, productive society.  In today’s dynamic world, a well-rounded education reduces the risk of a life of poverty and opens the door to a promise of a better life for our future generation.

(Article from UNGC)

The landscape of education in Malaysia is, in of itself, a riddle; How do we provide education for millions of Malaysian children while at the same time providing an equitable level of education? The context matters here. While urban dwellers, from top-segment B40 families and above, can cope with rapid introduction of technologies in education, enjoy the benefits of advanced infrastructures and in general an education-leaning environment, the same cannot be said of their peers in rural areas.

A multitude of issues plague education attainment when it comes to the underprivileged. Lack of internet access, rundown buildings and lab equipment, budget cuts and all else do not contribute into turning these schools into safe, learning havens. The environments surrounding students from these schools too are marred with societal barriers; Low household income leading to them having to provide for their family through menial jobs, illiteracy making the concept of attaining education a far-fetched dream, societal expectations (or lack thereof) transmogrifying Ivy League/Russel Group universities into nothing but castles in fairy tales.

This is where businesses and social organizations can come in. Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education sets out a framework in which parties can use as reference to provide education with the best education possible. In business sense, there is a return of investment as well. By investing in education, firms supercharge their potential talent pool, avoiding issues of sidelining market opportunities due to talent constraints (In a Global Corporate Sustainability Report produced by UNGC, 50% of ASEAN CEOs report such issue).

Global Compact Network Malaysia, therefore, reiterates the following framework for businesses to engage in education:

1. Fostering Innovation in Education

The advent of education technology means a plethora of opportunities for firms to participate in facilitating school education. Impactful measures such as Axiata Group’s coding camps in underprivileged schools have not only granted students access to digital education, but Axiata is also seeing returns in the talent uptake.

2. Addressing Operational Risks

GCMY recommends businesses to identify risks within its operations and supply chains to mitigate issues that obstructs a child’s rights to education. Internal assessments should also be carried out to maximize value invested into education porogrammes.

3. Improving Brand Leadership and Enhance Corporate Reputation

Strategic donations and best practices communications can strengthen a firm’s brand image in facilitating quality education as well as increasing the firm’s presence in the sustainability space.

4. Boost Employee Morale and Retention

Employee benefits such as early education support and providing donations as a gift matching options can uplift employees’ productivity. These benefits also extend to easing talent acquisition and retention for the long term.

5. Develop Capacity for Future Employees

In developing capacity, focus should be on primary and secondary education. By being the frontrunner in identifying future required skillsets and providing programmes to facilitate such, firms can be sure of appropriate acquisition and workplace infrastructure best equipped for ever-changing market landscape and demands.

The Movement Control Order has entered the ‘Recovery’ phase. More businesses are opening and updates are being made to the SOPs. As of 24 June 2020, the SOPs for the Manufacturing Sector have been updated.

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