FUELLING TALENT GROWTH

The Star

05-05-2025

FOR over three decades, Petroliam Nasional Bhd (PETRONAS) has been a catalyst for nurturing highly skilled talent within the oil and gas industry, evolving in tandem with the sector's growing complexity and innovation.
As the company celebrates over 50 years of operations, it continues to champion workforce development, notably through its Vocational Institution Sponsorship and Training Assistance (VISTA) programme.
Steady pipeline of talent
Delivered in collaboration with key industry players, VISTA ensures technical training remains aligned to real-world needs, helping build a robust pipeline of talent equipped for the dynamic energy landscape.
Launched in 1992, VISTA is now enhanced as VISTA i-Plus—a more integrated and industry-led model designed to ensure a steady flow of skilled professionals, not only for PETRONAS, but for the oil and gas ecosystem at large.
'This is not just a PETRONAS initiative, it is a collective commitment by the industry, for the industry,' said PETRONAS senior vice president and group chief human resource officer Ruslan Islahudin.
'Through VISTA i-Plus, we're creating a structured, collaborative ecosystem where industry players, government agencies and institutions work hand-in-hand to build future-ready talent.'
To date, the programme has supported 35 institutions nationwide and channelled over RM90mil to train nearly 12,000 graduates in critical oil and gas skillsets.
The company's long-standing partnership approach strengthens the oil and gas services and equipment (OGSE) sector by expanding access to competent talent, particularly in high-demand areas such as 6G welding, scaffolding and rigging, pipefitting and welding inspection.
PETRONAS has benchmarked the enhanced model against best practices from 10 leading technical and vocational education and training (TVET) nations, including Germany, South Korea and Australia, where strong industry-education-government collaboration is the common denominator of success.
'Malaysia has more than 1,300 TVET institutions, with around 500 linked to oil and gas trades. Strengthening this ecosystem together is vital to meeting industry demands and unlocking broader economic impact,' said Ruslan.
Ruslan Islahudin
VISTA i-Plus
Central to VISTA i-Plus is the newly established VISTA Advisory Council, comprising leaders from key industry bodies including Malaysia Petroleum Resources Corporation, Malaysian Oil, Gas and Energy Services Council, Human Resources Development Corporation, Petroleum Arrangement Contractors and PETRONAS.
The council plays a pivotal role in co-shaping a unified workforce development strategy for the oil and gas industry, ensuring VISTA i-Plus is governed not by one company but by the collective voice of the sector.
The programme also features two other governance platforms—the VISTA Working Committee, which oversees execution, and the VISTA Engagement Network, which provides training institutions with centralised resources and knowledge sharing.
Together, these bodies form a responsive and resilient framework that keeps the model attuned to evolving industry needs.
The success of the VISTA i-Plus model can be measured through several metrics, including the take-up rate of the programmes, courses and initiatives, active overall participation in supporting the model, and an increase in the employability rate to meet the talent demand in the oil and gas industry.
Its effectiveness can also be gauged through in-kind support from industry players, mechanisms to leverage existing levies, the establishment of VISTA i-Plus as the preferred choice among industry stakeholders, and the capacity of learning institutions to produce a talent pool that aligns with market demands.
Collaborative ecosystem
Ruslan added that the 'by industry, for industry' philosophy is central to the VISTA i-Plus approach and is underpinned by the strong commitment of key stakeholders, who actively participate as council members.
This commitment, he said, will ensure the model's long-term sustainability, with clear roles, responsibilities and aligned expectations for all involved.
'Other industries beyond oil and gas could benefit from adopting similar collaborative models, creating cross-industry synergy.
'For example, welders trained through specialised courses can apply their skills in both the oil and gas industry and the automotive industry, fostering a versatile workforce,' Ruslan added.
Looking ahead, PETRONAS has identified three strategic priorities for VISTA i-Plus—aligning training to current industry demands, embedding practical hands-on learning and fostering strong industry participation through mentoring, career pathways and continuous development opportunities.
'Developing talent cannot be done in silos. Through VISTA i-Plus, we are reinforcing our belief that talent development is a shared responsibility, and when we do it together, we build a stronger, more sustainable industry for all,' said Ruslan.