WEATHERFORD International has become the first global oil services company to secure OPITO – The Oil & Gas Academy approval for worldwide delivery of its competence assessors training course.
The group recently launched its global competency management system as part of its overarching HR Management System – Employee Connect.
Moreover, Weatherford says that having its internal training courses and competency management system validated by OPITO further enhances the importance the group places on developing its people and on ensuring that customers are provided with competent personnel to carry out their operations.
The approval of the internal competency assessors course … the group plans to have 1,000 assessors across 100 locations worldwide … is the first step in the external verification process for Weatherford, which also has its “competency management system” currently going through the rigorous OPITO approval process.
It is hoped that approval will be granted in the coming months, making Weatherford the first global well services provider to gain OPITO approval for such a system.
Moreover, the group sees both as market differentiators at a time when good people are hard to find despite the ravages of global recession and yoyo oil prices.
Neal Gillenwater, senior VP human resources, said of the OPITO drive: “Having a skilled and competent workforce is vital to ensuring safe operations, improving staff performance, business performance, competitive advantage and the delivery of first-class customer service.
“To have these courses and our competency management system approved by an internationally recognised industry body such as OPITO – The Oil & Gas Academy reinforces our commitment to our people and to our customers.”
The company has also gained approval for delivery of “minimum industry standards” (MIST) training internally, also to external clients, and is working towards gaining OPITO “product certification” status for several of its in-house training courses.
Jim Cameron, approvals and competence services director at OPITO, said: “We need to continue raising standards across the industry, and ensuring companies have a competent workforce plays a very important role in that.
“It is hoped that world-class training delivery, coupled with an effective, quality-assured competence management system, will support these aspirations and deliver improved performance along with reduced incident levels.
“Weatherford International has clearly set its sights on achieving these high standards through compliance with our impartial approval criteria and we wish it every success in the future.”
Though still regarded as American, Weatherford is now a Swiss-based multinational oilfield service company.
It was in December 2008 that the company said it was shifting its group headquarters from Houston to Switzerland, joining at least two other top US brands – Halliburton and Transocean – in such corporate migration.
Weatherford is one of the largest global providers of innovative mechanical solutions, technology and services for the drilling and production sectors of the oil&gas industry. The group operates in more than 100 countries and employs more than 50,000 people worldwide.