foodpanda signs MoU with Manipal International University to upskill riders

Food delivery platform foodpanda Malaysia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Manipal International University (MIU) to provide riders with the opportunity to pursue a tertiary education.

Through the initiative, five riders were chosen to enhance their skills and qualifications and to advance their careers through a two-year sponsored Diploma in Business Management course offered by MIU.

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To further support the riders, foodpanda will provide them with a free laptop and a complimentary hostel stay for the entirety of their course.

“At foodpanda, we are committed to nurturing and investing in the future of our delivery partners, who are the heart and soul of the business,” said Shubham Saran, head of logistics, foodpanda Malaysia.

“We are always proud of their dedication and hard work, which is why we are excited to support and see their success in achieving a better future and quality of life,” he continued.

Saran also said that the partnership with MIU aims to complement foodpanda’s existing benefits and programmes to grow and up skill their delivery partners.

"This partnership exemplifies the power of education to drive positive change. We hope what we have started today will pave the way for more strategic partnerships in developing the people and overall ecosystem for Malaysia’s gig economy,” said Jason Fitzsimmons, vice-chancellor of MIU.

The collaboration is also part of foodpanda’s commitment to the Malaysian government following a dialogue with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. At the session, PM Anwar emphasised the need to increase national funding for upskilling, training, and other initiatives that improve the social safety net for the parcel-hailing (p-hailing) rider community.

While foodpanda supports its riders, the brand has also broadened its offerings for customers to include a 24/7 on-demand parcel delivery service nationwide, called 'pandago'. This comes after it established itself in Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, and Taiwan. 

With pandago, users can easily request a foodpanda rider to deliver their items by updating their foodpanda app to the latest version and clicking on the pandago tile. The app’s on-demand delivery service offers an easy solution for time-sensitive deliveries, promising to fulfil users’ deliveries in under 60 minutes.

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