4.2 Talent Cultivation and Development

4.2.1 Continuing Education and Training

PSC highly values talent cultivation and development. In order to achieve business performance goals, enhance the quality of talent and be properly prepared for the impact of rapid changes in the financial industry, the Company has established a systematic and well-planned professional training mechanism.

．PSC participates in the TTQS Assessment organized by the Ministry of Labor every two years and has won six silver medals and seven bronze medals since 2009 as the only company in the securities industry that has been recognized for 13 consecutive years.

．In 2018, our course on Content Marketing Application with Social Community Tools was certified by iCAP of the Ministry of Labor. The course was divided into two units for 12 hours. Through coursework, group discussion, and learning assessment, we developed our employees’ ability to conduct content marketing with social community tools and strengthen their digital marketing ability required for digital transformation and Fintech.

PSC Training policy

1．In line with the Company's medium and long-term business strategies and annual targets, we cultivate talents needed for the current and future business development, with the aim of improving employee productivity and business performance.

2．We enable employees to access systematic and professional training, cultivation and guidance, and appropriate learning resources, allowing them to acquire the attitude, knowledge, and skills required to perform tasks effectively, thereby improving our productivity.

3．We formulated training standards based on the TTQS as professional guidance for us to link corporate strategies and performance promotion.

Succession Plan

In response to the needs for the organization's business development and business challenges, we have launched the PSC Management Trainee Program and the Branch Manager Succession Program, with a systematic selection and training mechanism to effectively pass on our experience and skills and actively train trainees for top-level managers. We selected potential talents with outstanding performance and sales skills for this program. We cultivated their strategic thinking, team management, customer management, problem analysis and solving skills and abilities in "learning by doing" methods, including apprenticeships, job rotation, and mentor coaching.

In 2023, we introduced five management trainees through the “PSC Management Trainee Program” and eight talents through the “Branch Manager Succession Program.” Among them, one management trainee completed the first phase of training for branch managers and was promoted to the role, while two management trainees completed the first phase of training for branch settlement managers and were promoted to the role of settlement managers at branches. The Company will continue to implement the management trainee program for branch manager to ensure a strong talent tool.

Enhanced Employee Training

PSC plans to assist employees in their growth and development considering the various stages and aspects of employee training, including foundational training for new hires, specialized functional courses, management skills training, and self-development. Furthermore, in response to the increasingly popular application of FinTech, the Company helps its employees adjust their mindsets, strengthen digital capabilities, engage in community management, enhance compliance, and uphold professional ethics on top of providing training as required by the competent authority. Since 2018, the Company has been offering various training courses on digital transformation to prepare for future developments and address the challenges brought by the transformation trend. Specifically for the uprise of FinTech in recent years, the Company has restructured its internal processes for information processing as part of its organizational transformation efforts to align with digital development trends.

In accordance with PSC regulations, employees are required to complete an average of 20 hours of training per person. In 2023, the Company successfully met this training target. The detailed figures for training hours, expenditure, and training course content are as follows.

Each of our sales personnel has undergone complete education and training and obtained licenses issued by the competent authorities. With the marketing tools we developed, our sales personnel can provide investors with the most professional services.

Digital Learning Promotion

To relax the restrictions on employees’ learning space, we are committed to promoting e-learning and have invested millions of dollars in establishing the PSC Digital Learning Website for more effective utilization of our internal training resources. The platform offers over 100 digital courses, including topics such as management, leadership, sales, professional skills, system platforms, and regulations, allowing employees to learn online depending on their personal needs at work. With an online quiz function, they can develop correct product knowledge, master sales skills, familiarize themselves with key points, and shorten the time to or increase the chance of closing deals. We have also purchased a number of online courses on management, leadership, sales, competencies, and attitude, to provide diverse online learning resources. We organized a PSC Academy session on a monthly basis to analyze popular industries and individual stocks, allowing our sales personnel of the Brokerage Department to keep abreast of industry trends, thereby providing clients with professional services.

Support for Employees' Diverse Training

Over the past three years, PSC has actively encouraged our employees to pursue further education and enhance their professional skills related to their job responsibilities. The cost of these educational courses, upon application and approval, has been fully subsidized by the Company. The information on the applications received and subsidies provided during the past three years is as follows.

Internal Lecturer System

PSC strongly encourages its employees to take on the role of internal trainers. By sharing their expertise and knowledge related to their job responsibilities, the lecturers not only enhance their own teaching skills but also contribute to the dissemination of financial knowledge within the organization.

4.2.2 Performance Management

PSC’s employee performance management policy relies on annual performance evaluations to determine various aspects of compensation and career development, such as salary adjustments, promotions, performance bonuses, employee dividends, and stock transfers from our treasury stock program. Performance evaluations also take into account employees' work attitudes and job competency, serving as a reference for the development of employee education and training plans.。

The following performance evaluation system applies to non-sales staff, totaling 848 employees, which accounts for 60% of our workforce. The remaining employees are sales representatives in the brokerage department, whose performance evaluations are conducted quarterly based on rules set by the brokerage department, considering performance and the contributions to gross profit. If employees have concerns or doubts about their performance evaluation results, they can file appeals through the Company’s internal channels. In 2023, there was one appeal case.

Commendation of Outstanding Employees

To appreciate and reward employees for their service and contribution to the Company, we held an outstanding employee award ceremony. All outstanding employees who were invited could participate with their family members to share their glory. We presented a trophy to each of them at the ceremony to express our greatest gratitude to the Company.

Counseling Program

For underperforming employees, PSC employs a performance counseling mechanism, which requires the unit supervisor to create a work improvement plan with such employees and conduct performance interviews to identify areas in need of improvement. Together, they establish specific improvement objectives and set a three-month period for counseling. If the employee successfully meets the improvement goals during this timeframe, as determined by the supervisor's approval, the counseling process concludes. However, if the employee does not meet the goals, the termination process will follow according to the Company's Personnel Assessment Procedures.