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Shipping giant helps interns launch careers


COSCO social responsibility program offers Malaysians a sea of opportunities
 
In only about two years, Malaysian graduate Charles Chan Chow Khong has grown from being an intern at the Kuala Lumpur branch of COSCO Shipping Lines to a mentor.
 
His internship at the company began in 2017. Today, the 25-year-old sociology graduate works in the business processes department and has taken it upon himself to tutor new interns.
 
"At first, when I wanted to enter COSCO Shipping Lines, I had no idea what program to do, or what I should be prepared for," said Chan.
 
After graduation, he began to look for job opportunities back home when a Zhejiang University alumna who was then working for the Chinese company recommended the internship program.
 
COSCO Shipping Lines is a fully owned subsidiary of COSCO Shipping Holding Co. The Shanghai-based shipping and logistics giant has the largest shipping capacity in the world and the third-largest number of container vessels.
 
Chan spent a few months training in different departments. Due to his good performance during the internship, he was hired by the company.
 
"Graduating with a sociology major makes me enjoy observing things from a macro perspective. With my current department, I get to be exposed to a wide range of things relating to the company, which is quite interesting to me," said Chan.
 
Henry Tian, managing director of COSCO Shipping Lines (Malaysia), said the company began internship programs for Malaysian students in 2015 to fulfill its corporate social responsibility.
 
"Malaysian students in China sometimes feel the pain of looking for internships back home due to a lack of local contacts. The program provides them with a chance to complete an internship while spending time with their families during school holidays," said Tian.
 
"When students leave universities to find jobs, many of them may not know what they really want to do. But working in a logistics company, which deals with businesses in almost all kinds of industries, they can figure out what (kind of jobs) they are interested in," he said.
 
Tian said the company does not just nurture talent for itself, but encourages students to choose their desired industry or position based on firsthand experience.
 
"We welcome every Malaysian student to join the internship program, whether they are Chinese, Indian or Malay," said Tian, adding that cultural diversity is a strong feature of the company. COSCO Shipping Lines has more than 200 employees in Malaysia, of which only three are from China.
 
During the internships, which last between two and six months, students can learn practical skills in the department to which they are assigned while conducting research on the company's business to deepen their understanding of the industry.
 
Around 30 Malaysian students have joined the internship program in recent years, with some like Chan getting hired by COSCO Shipping Lines.
 
Darren Chin Kar Seng, 23, was a student in international trade at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman in Malaysia. After completing his three-month internship with a group of schoolmates in early 2018, he stayed with the company, together with his classmates Lee Tat Seng and Farah Farzana.
 
"In fact, my mother was a bit against me joining the company because she thought I should wait longer to see if there were any other options.... But now she is very happy with what I do," said Chin. He added that he hopes to join different departments to gain a deeper understanding of the company's operations.
 
Farzana, who now works in the equipment control department, recalled how impressed she was boarding a vessel for the first time as part of the internship.
 
"The company introduced us to how the port works and we got to board the vessel with our colleagues. They showed us the system, including what it was like inside the vessel, what the crew members do and how they control the containers," she said.
 
Lee, who works in the sales and marketing department, said: "The working environment here is very nice, as it emphasizes work-life balance. My colleagues here are friendly. Whenever I have questions, I can always find someone who is willing to teach me without hiding anything. I know this is not a common thing at all workplaces."
 
Captain Panda, a staff committee named after the company's mascot, was established to organize internal and external activities related to corporate social responsibility. Besides the internship program, the team also makes contributions to the local community, such as donating computers to a secondary school and spending time with children in an orphanage.
 
"Many of our students are from a poor background and cannot afford a computer," said Norihan Kassim, senior assistant to the academic administrator of Subang Valley High School in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
 
"With the new computer lab, they no longer need to go to cybercafes to complete their homework. It is quite beneficial for them. Business administration teachers can also use the lab for their projects."
 
Maha, administrator of Selangor Children Welfare Home, appreciates COSCO Shipping Line's frequent donation of groceries, as well as the family day it arranged last year to bring children to a zoo in Kuala Lumpur.
 
"It creates good memories for them," said Maha. "The kids seldom go out, so this kind of event is perfectly prepared by (COSCO)."
 
Pointing out that Malaysia and Singapore are the hubs of COSCO Shipping's business in Southeast Asia, managing director Tian said the company's annual growth in the region has reached 30 to 40 percent in recent years.
 
"Malaysia is a very nice country, and people here are simple and kindhearted," said Tian.
 
Source:Chinadaily

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Xinde Marine News.

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