Diversity teams began forming in 2006 to foster awareness and promote inclusion in specific locations and operational groups. By year-end 2007, nine teams were active and three were in development. All employees participate in diversity training and education and have the opportunity to take part in diversity programs.
Employee recruitment is a primary means of diversifying the Marathon workforce. Through partnerships with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF), the Company offers scholarships, internships and mentoring for students majoring in technical and business disciplines. These programs are open to eligible students at colleges across the U.S. In 2007, Marathon employed 41 UNCF and HSF interns. Marathon has committed over $7.5 million to provide scholarships, support and internships for these minority undergraduate and graduate students.
Training and Development
To enable employees to perform at their highest levels, Marathon provides training
and development opportunities to build skills and technical competencies, deepen
knowledge and expertise, and promote best practices. Employees work with their
supervisors and experts in their field to design and follow an individualized
training and development plan, including temporary assignments and projects. This
engagement helps employees contribute as members of Marathon's high performance team
while preparing for career advancement. To further encourage employees to actively
manage their careers, a development Web site was launched in 2007.
Employees have access to functional training activities, physical and virtual libraries, interactive CBT, and on-site and off-site
programs. In 2007, approximately 828,000 hours of employee training were tracked through Marathon's Learning Management System. An educational reimbursement plan provides financial assistance to employees in the U.S., Ireland and the U.K. to complete or further their college education.
Different organizations develop training programs to meet their specific needs. The training goal of the Upstream organization is to achieve technical excellence for approximately 600 petrotechnical professionals. Marathon recommends 15 days of external training per year for petrotechnical employees with up to five years of experience. By the time an employee reaches the level of advanced practice professional, five days of external training and five to 10 days of industry involvement are recommended. The Upstream organization sets the stage for knowledge transfer to newer petrotechnical professionals through communities of practice for geosciences, reservoir management and other disciplines.
Marathon Pipe Line opened a new training center in 2007 to improve the quality and consistency of training for its employees. The center includes a working pipeline model that supports the Company's plans to have a well-trained workforce. TT&M's training center provides programs to enhance employee skills for maintaining, servicing and troubleshooting terminal equipment. The goal of the training is to improve performance and customer satisfaction. Since 2001, more than 1,500 employees from a wide range of internal organizations have received training at the TT&M facility. The Refining organization is expanding its training program for engineers and laboratory chemists that bridges the gap between the theories they learn in college and the practical aspects of working in a refinery.
