TalentCorp's Career Comeback Networking Event Connects Women On Career Breaks With Employers

KUALA LUMPUR, 6 March 2014 – Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp) hosted the Career Comeback Networking event today at Impiana KLCC Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. This is the first time that such a platform was created to bring together potential women returnees with prospective employers who offer full-time and flexible job opportunities that can assist women in balancing their personal and professional commitments.

Supported by myStarjob.com and the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) HEARTS Programme, the initiative supports the Government’s efforts in increasing women’s labour participation to 55 per cent by the year 2015 through attracting and retaining highly qualified women in the workforce.

According to the ACCA-TalentCorp survey on Retaining Women in the Workforce 2013, 93 percent of the women respondents who were on career breaks considered returning to the workforce. However, 63 percent of them find it difficult to do so.

“Malaysian employers can play a more active role in attracting women on career breaks to return to the workforce. Those on career breaks may need to be re-trained but they nevertheless represent a pool of talented professionals to be leveraged on, especially in an environment when most employers cite the need for a wider pool of talent to support business growth,” said Johan Mahmood Merican, CEO of TalentCorp.

To support corporate efforts to facilitate women who intend to return to work, the Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak had announced at Invest Malaysia 2012 the provision of a double tax deduction incentive on training expenditure incurred by companies in re-employing women professionals on career breaks. Additionally, HRDF has initiated an upskilling programme to ensure returning women are able to make a smooth transition back to the workforce.

Close to 30 companies took part in the Networking event such as Accenture Malaysia, Astro, CIMB Group, Dell Malaysia, IBM Malaysia, Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank), PwC Malaysia, Royal Selangor, Shell Malaysia, Sunway Group and Taylor’s Education Group.

“To accelerate the realisation of a true high-income economy, Malaysia needs to leverage on the women not currently in its workforce. Maybank’s integrated and intensive Talent Sourcing Programme includes pursuing the obvious and non-obvious pools. This event gives us an opportunity to meet more skilled and talented women keen on returning to the nation’s workforce,” said Puan Nora Abd Manaf, Group Chief Human Capital Officer, Maybank.

The event, which attracted about 300 women on career breaks, provided them with a better understanding of the current employment landscape through employers’ sharing on the various flexible work arrangements available and tips on returning to work.

The employers who spoke at the event included Lim Sue Chuen, Assistant General Manager -Organizational Development (and Learning & Development?), Sunway Group; Prema Arumugam, Executive Search Consultant for Asia-Pacific, IBM Malaysia; and Pun Tian Pouw, Principal of Korn/Ferry International, who is also a Diversity Advocate for TalentCorp.

The participants also had the opportunity to learn from women who had successfully returned to the workforce such as Vinnie Raviraj of Convergys SEA Malaysia; and Sonia Gomez of Taylor’s Education Group.

For more information, please visit www.flexWorkLife.my