ENHANCING SKILLS
Over 100 of Oman’s graduates are now making a tangible contribution to BP’s $16bn Khazzan Project.
Launched in 2012, BP Oman’s Technicians Development Programme is a pioneering scheme in Oman. Candidates are graduates from technical colleges and universities across the Sultanate and complete a four-year programme, including 18 months working towards an NVQ (National Vocational Qualification).
The most recent group of 20 trainee technicians joined the programme in early April 2018, commencing their journey to join the diverse group of individuals that have already completed the training programme. Over 80 local graduates are already playing their part at Khazzan to help deliver a significant proportion of Oman’s gas needs.
Yousuf Al Ojaili, BP Oman President, said: “It’s really pleasing to see our graduates making a valuable contribution to Khazzan operations. BP is committed to developing its people, as it is key to our success. The future is bright, we are strengthening employability of skilled Omani’s and I’m really excited to welcome our latest group of trainee technicians.”
When the new recruits finish their training, they will take on Mechanical, Instrument, Electrical and Production roles at Khazzan and Ghazeer, complementing the existing cohort of technicians.
Mashaal Al Ghafri, Production Technician graduated from the programme in 2016 and since then has been contributing to Khazzan’s success. “It was a wonderful opportunity to be part of this programme, which I joined as a graduate straight from college. Being one of the few females working in the field as an operator, this programme has not only afforded me the opportunities to progress in my career but to also further my personal development. I became the female representative on the welfare committee and I am proud to be the voice of Khazzan’s female employees on the Employee Consultative Committee. It is very rewarding to be able to use my training and experience to help support and encourage other women. I now have more confidence to speak in front of people, express my opinion and offer advice and solutions. The training was pivotal in my self-development and I am very proud to be part of it.”
The Technician Development Programme is conducted both on-site and off-site and comprises a mix of theory, academic and workshop manual skills training as well as safety and monitoring process plant conditions specific to Khazzan.
The first group of technicians also had the opportunity to gain field experience with Oman Oil Company (OOC) and Oman LNG thanks to two unique partnerships that were established with BP to further enrich the training programme.