The first participants in the Connected Competence initiative will undertake knowledge tests at Bilfinger Salamis’ purpose built facility at the Marriott Hotel, Dyce, later this month.
The programme was set up to drive competence standardisation across the UK oil and gas industry.
Bilfinger partnered with Engineering and Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) to develop the framework.
The initiative was recognised at the Offshore Achievement Awards 2018, winning the Collaboration Award.
It will provide offshore tradespeople with a standardised way of demonstrating technical competence and reducing the duplication of training and assessment.
If an employee moves to another Connected Competence company, information relating to the employees’ testing history will be shared.
Bilfinger managing director Sandy Bonner said: “At Bilfinger we look forward to simplifying what has previously been a needlessly complicated process, and I am certain we will see notable benefits both for our employees, the industry, and our clients, as we can all ensure confidence in a competent workforce.”
Chris Claydon, chief executive of the ECITB, said: “I’m delighted to see a large company like Bilfinger Salamis embrace the Connected Competence approach to standardised training and assessment and welcome the new facility in Aberdeen.
“This ground-breaking scheme helps to make our sites safer and more efficient, because everyone works in the same way to to the same high standards. Connected Competence also helps develop an engineering construction workforce equipped with transferrable skills that will be a huge benefit to employers across the wider industry.“
