TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Media_OutReach – 11 June 2019 – A total of 64 projects and business leaders across 16 countries in Asia were selected as recipients of Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards (AREA) 2019, an increase of 19% from last year. Regarded as the top corporate social responsibility awards in Asia, this year’s ceremony was organized in Taipei, after being held in Macau, Singapore, Bangkok, and Manila previously.
Organized by Enterprise Asia, the leading non-governmental organization for responsible entrepreneurship in Asia, the AREA aims to recognize and honor Asian businesses and leaders for championing sustainable and socially responsible business practices. The award categories are social empowerment, investment in people, health promotion, green leadership, corporate governance, and responsible business leadership. Some of the dignitaries who graced the event include Mr. Chang San-cheng, former premier of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Mr. Hou Yu-Ih, mayor of New Taipei City.
Leading the list of winners under the investment in people category was Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) with their project “Building the Soft and Hard Capacity for Professionals in the Power Industry”.
Established in 1946, Taipower is an integrated, electric utility company with businesses in power generation, transmission, distribution and services. As of 2018, the Taipower system had a total installed capacity of 44.51 GW. Its primary energy sources include thermal power, hydro power and other forms of renewable energy.
Throughout its history, Taipower has relied on its professional workforce to maintain a high-quality, reliable power supply. Internally, the Company is grappling with a retirement peak, and the related challenge of transferring skills and knowledge from older employees to the next generation. These factors have necessitated the development of an innovative talent training program that fosters the safe and effective development of new employees.
The program is designed around the goals of active recruitment through multiple channels in order to stabilize the talent pool; the cultivation of core competencies and the development of lean power talents; the acceleration of cultivation and promotion of outstanding employees, the construction of a platform to strengthen the adaptability of employee; the introduction of learning technologies that improve the effectiveness of training; and the recognition of core human resources and the application of multiple training methods to meet learning needs.

Framework and Strategy Taipower’s innovative talent cultivation program has three core components, namely a comprehensive training system and policy, the integration of emerging technologies and the cultivation of a caring, employee-centered environment.
The Company strives to use emerging technologies and methodologies in all stages of its training system. The introduction of new technologies is to improve employee effectiveness and safety. Recent initiatives included the introduction of e-books on i-Tunes U, a real-time response system, and a micro- learning video platform. Taipower is working to fully integrate Virtual Reality models to enhance training in unsafe environments.
To help employees relieve stress and to achieve a healthy work-life balance, Taipower initiated its Heart-to-Heart program. For more than 30 years, the program has provided an employee assistance system and worked to create a supportive environment that cares for the mental health needs of employees.
Achievement and Impact As a public utility, and a major employer, Taipower plays a significant role in establishing employment standards and benchmarks in Taiwan. It has consistently sought to cultivate talent and create opportunities for young employees. The Company was recently honored to be ranked 13th on a list of employers preferred by those entering the workforce in the 2018 Cheers (magazine) annual survey.
The quality of the Company’s training centers was also acknowledged when their training system passed the Talent Quality-Management System Assessment and acquired the “Excellent Enterprise Vocational Training Institute” designation from the Ministry of Labour. In confirmation of this recognition, Taipower has consistently encouraged its employees to pursue related licenses and certificates. In 2018, the Company’s training system facilitated the achievement of 4,252 certificates and obtained more than 70,000 certificates by its employees.
Future Direction Strengthening human resource management is an endless journey for every company that is seeking to achieve sustainable development. As a company in the midst of an energy transition, Taipower is particularly aware of the need to foster young talents in renewable energies and their related systems. Hence, the Company has placed a particular focus on developing young professionals to meet its future human resource demands.
In the coming years, Taipower will continue to introduce new technologies for training, and to integrate data from its training courses to improve their effectiveness. The Company will also work towards the use of a big data system to create connections between employees, company needs and training requirements. Moreover, in addition to cultivating the professional abilities of its staff, the Company will continue to use multiple channels to meet the needs of its employee and to construct a healthy, productive and sustainable workplace for all.
*** About Enterprise Asia *** Enterprise Asia is a non-governmental organization in pursuit of creating an Asia that is rich in entrepreneurship as an engine towards sustainable and progressive economic and social development within a world of economic equality. Its two pillars of existence are investment in people and responsible entrepreneurship. Enterprise Asia works with governments, NGOs and other organizations to promote competitiveness and entrepreneurial development, in uplifting the economic status of people across Asia and in ensuring a legacy of hope, innovation and courage for the future generation. For more information, visit: https://www.enterpriseasia.org/.
*** About Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards *** The Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards recognizes and honors Asian businesses for championing sustainable and responsible entrepreneurship in the categories of Green Leadership, Investment in People, Health Promotion, Social Empowerment, Corporate Governance and Responsible Business Leadership. For more information, visit: https://enterpriseasia.org/area/.