Structured learning with Graduate Development Program gets students started on their career of choice

By K. Raman, Managing Director, Oracle Corporation Malaysia

In today’s challenging business environment, the success of any company depends on grooming young, talented graduates into future senior managers.

Graduate Development Programs provide structured learning experiences for participants, delivered with a combination of formal training and on-the-job training. Through it, graduates have the chance to develop a broad range of essential job skills while exploring interest areas to find a suitable fit between skills and ambitions. In essence, participants get a head start in pursuing a career of their choice.

For companies, Graduate Development Programs aim to build a talent pool of highly competitive and skilled professionals. These programs also support the organization’s objective of being the employer of choice by attracting young and bright university graduates into an organisation. In well-designed programs, trainees are exposed to a full range of operations in the company, mentored by experienced company executives.

So why participate in a Graduate Development Program?

With formal training and exposure to various roles within the organisation, graduates have the opportunity to understand which role they are most suitable for. In addition, successful candidates can look forward to a career in the organisation. Trainees are also given access to various information sources, tools and resources, and continuous development opportunities relevant to their professional growth. In the process, graduate trainees are better prepared for real-world professional challenges having experienced working on real projects with real deliverables.

Oracle’s program
Launched last year in Malaysia, Oracle’s inaugural Graduate Development Program was open to all fresh graduates who hold a First Class or Second Class Upper Honours degree or a GPA score of 3.5 and above from recognised universities. The first seven candidates for this inaugural program were selected from more than 80 applicants. The candidates come from various fields including Computer Science, Information Systems and Business Administration.

The program provides two years of classroom and on-the-job training through a comprehensive curriculum designed to acquire the latest in IT knowledge and best practices. Trainees who make it through the program’s highly rigorous and competitive selection process will benefit from the program, which aims to produce the industry’s most competitive and skilled high-end IT professionals.

Trainees have the opportunity to interact with and learn from their peers and managers in other Asia Pacific countries to gain an international perspective, depending on the departments they are assigned to. These interactions are crucial particularly in today’s globalised economy.

Oracle’s two-year graduate development program is structured in phases, starting with recruitment. Top graduates are recruited into the program from leading universities in the region and placed on foundation training. Following this, the participants will go through a series of rotational assignments before the initial placement. Throughout the program, the graduates will be coached by experienced Oracle professionals in order to develop their skills and knowledge base, and leadership qualities.

Foundation training

Graduate trainees undergo a structured training program which runs for eight weeks. Foundation training provides the required basic skills and knowledge that every Oracle employee needs to have. The training covers three main elements: Oracle product training, Oracle organisational knowledge and soft skills training on effective communication and presentation skills, motivation, change management, planning and organizational skills, and effective teamwork.

Rotational Assignments

After the foundation training phase, graduate trainees move into rotational assignments. Each graduate goes through two to three consecutive assignments in various areas of the business, each lasting between two and six months. Closely mentored by Oracle seniors, the participants are able to use their newly-acquired skills and knowledge and apply them to real-life environments and situations, involving actual customers and projects.

Initial placement

Upon successful completion of their rotational assignments, the graduates are given roles within Oracle that best match their talents and ambitions. Coupled with the training, the participants will now be ready to achieve and realise their full potential.

The Oracle Development Program currently runs in various Asia Pacific countries including Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, China, Korea and Australia. This year the program is being adopted and launched in Philippines, Indonesia and Pakistan.

Participant quotes

One of the selected Malaysians that underwent last year’s inaugural program, Nazri Abdullah said the Oracle Development Program is “a unique and exciting program which enables graduates to adapt to (real-life) business environments and the corporate culture within the shortest period of time.”
”The open concept policy is very encouraging, as it makes all of us feel more confident in interacting with other people within the organization. (It also provides) an excellent path for us to improve our knowledge on (Oracle’s) products and the business, as priorities are given for us to learn more from courses,” he said.

Nazri explained that the fact that Oracle was investing in new graduates indicates the value they place on young new talents. This will move to inspire the graduates, so they can continuously add value not only to themselves but also back to Oracle itself.
“The ASEAN Graduate Development Program has groomed me into a business professional equipped with top-quality skills. It is amazing to be able to experience first-hand real working world challenges and at the same time figure out the best solutions for customers,” said Nur Adibah Azhar, a business analyst at Oracle Malaysia.

“Besides that, we refined our soft skills – all this makes us not only a professional Oracle employee but also a better and well-rounded person. To top it all off, I have made many good friends from various parts of the world through this program. With that, I am proud to say that I have made Oracle my home,” she explains.

How to sign up for the Oracle Graduate Development Program

In order to continue harnessing the talent pool by moulding skilled professionals, Oracle plans to hire the second batch of graduate trainees of seven candidates this year from local universities. The initial placement will begin in June and the proposed plan is to have a combined residential four week-long program for all the trainees within the ASEAN region.

Resumes can be sent to campusrelations_my@oracle.com. The closing date for applications is 3rd May, 2008. The first interviews will begin on 12th May, 2008, with short listed candidates being notified from mid-May onwards.