Malaysian national energy major Petronas has forged its success by focusing on the training and development of its workforce, the company's vice-president for education has explained.

Speaking to Bernama, Dr Rosti Saruwono said that the company has sought to expand its educational commitment to Malaysia by expanding beyond tertiary oil and gas training courses and offering primary and secondary education too.

"It is important for us to reach out to the people, as we are involved in an industry which is very much knowledge-based. This is not solely about getting economic value out of it," he said.

Meanwhile, the company's university level schemes have also thrived, with the Institut Latihan Perindustrian Petroleum, now known as Instep, training more than 7,500 workers since its opening in 1983.

So too, Petronas notes that the institute has come to be highly regarded by international energy firms, with a sizable contingent of foreign workers travelling to the country to benefit from Petronas' training and development programmes.

Oil and Gas Directory: Training and Development