Fast-track programmes for smart graduates are fairly commonplace in the upstream side of the oil&gas industry, both within the supply chain and among the operators. Indeed, such programmes are a necessity as, despite its image, this sector acts like a magnet to high-calibre engineers, geologists and other relevant disciplines.
Amec is a good example of a company switched on to the need to ensure that high-quality people get that extra push; moreover, it is an investment in the company’s own future. It operates a scheme appropriately named Advance.
“We need to retain and develop high-quality people to meet the ever-changing demands required of a rapidly growing, dynamic organisation,” says Joyce Wallace, of Amec HR, in literature about the company’s programme.
“The ‘product’ we sell to our clients includes the provision of personnel who have extensive experience and understanding of the Amec business. We need these people now. They cannot be provided through external recruitment.”
Like other similar schemes, Advance has a structure and it deliberately sets out to be challenging – to stretch participants, maybe even push them to the limit, but with a “lifebelt” to hand in the form of mentors.
However, Advance is not a suite of formal training or education programmes. All learning is achieved in the workplace and it operates at different levels – foundation (one year), plus manager and executive (two years each).
Potential participants are nominated by senior management committees.
Two current participants in the Amec Advance programme are Hunter Zhang and Lachlan Watson. So what’s their view?
Zhang holds a BA from Nanjing University of Science & Technology and became involved with petrochemicals project work in China. Two projects on, he found himself looking for a new job and had a friend who worked for Amec who said the company was looking to hire.
“So I passed my CV to the company. That was about three years ago – May, 2006,” said Zhang, who is on the Advance manager programme.
He arrived in the UK in October “to get more exposure to commercial functions and different kinds of contracting”.
Basically, Amec wanted to arm him with the experience necessary to take up a regional commercial manager’s role in China, based in Shanghai. Indeed, he returns to China this month.
So what of the Advance programme?
“I started mine in May last year; it’s for two years.
“I have been stretched; this isn’t just a day job, it’s team working where you’re given a project and expected to complete it. We did our presentation to Neil Bruce and a team of senior people back in December.
“It’s not easy stuff … it’s not meant to be. There have been difficult times, even bad days, but overall, it has been very good.”
Watson is on the first level, one-year scheme. A Heriot-Watt graduate, he joined Amec in September, 2006, as a graduate pipe engineer, since when he has been learning the ropes.
The first Watson knew of his involvement with Advance was when he was nominated late last year by someone in management – but he doesn’t know who.
“I had an interview, did a presentation on the company’s Change for Growth programme … that was in January.
“I was told a day or so later that I had been selected and it kicked off in February. The onus is on you to take advantage of this. Someone at a high level decided I was worth the opportunity.”
Watson said the project element – it is facilities design-related – had already started, based on a team of four, two in Aberdeen, one in London and the fourth in Kuala Lumpur.
“It has been a great challenge so far,” he added.
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