L&D and the Oil & Gas Academy

Introduction

Our L&D Department is the hub of our L&D activities. Organisational change is a constant, however for Bapco the current pace of change is especially rapid. BMP and its eventual integration into our base business requires a substantial programme of training to equip our personnel with the skills to operate new technologies. The various transformation programmes currently underway across Bapco also require special attention to be paid to career development, vocational skills and succession planning. These exceptional activities place additional importance on the role of L&D to ensure that the workforce is continually rejuvenated, both by engaging existing personnel in continuous learning and supplying a pipeline of new personnel. Refer to our materiality assessment (Page 44) that shows L&D to be an area of highest importance to both Bapco and our stakeholders.

Bapco has physical training facilities hosted at the Oil & Gas Academy, Awali, used as the central point of contact for Bapco’s trainees. To deliver our training we have increasingly turned to the latest technologies to facilitate knowledge transfer, informed by the psychology of learning. Techniques such spaced repetition that use a variety of different learning techniques to improve knowledge retention. Mixed and augmented reality learning is used by Bapco to simulate real objects - especially important for our Area Outside Operators who need to learn safely how to work with complex equipment. Virtual reality is used by Bapco to allow operators to experience hazardous activities such as working at height from the controlled safety of our training facilities. This special topic provides an insight into some of our L&D activities currently used by us to invest in our most important asset - our people.

LC Fining is the CLG licensed technology for the ebullated bed resid hydrocracking process (RHCU) that will be the largest process unit in BMP and the main profit centre post commissioning. The Oil and Gas Academy has developed a state of the art training center including the LC Fining Operator Training Simulator. Due to the complexity of the LC Fining process, in-depth simulator training is required in a safe distraction free environment so that operators can practice addressing abnormal operating conditions and emergency operating procedures. The Generic RHCU simulator model is based on the initial design of a single reactor train configuration and includes highly complex catalyst section which is not typically simulated in other RHCU facilities around the world.

Bapco uses a wide range of digital tools to supplement traditional in-classroom learning techniques. The tools provide several benefits. They align learning style to individual need that is superior to a ‘one size fits all’ approach provided by traditional methods and they also provide safer and more cost-effective methods of learning where the work environment is potentially hazardous. Bapco has used computer-based training for some years but now supplement with micro-learning (short refresher courses delivered by App) as one approach to spaced repetition. Virtual and augmented reality bring the environment to the learner in a safe and realistic manner; research shows that skills are improved faster through experiential learning, which can include repeated exposure to stressful scenarios.

Our vocational training provides a structured training programme for the induction of school leavers and graduates into Bapco. Our vocational training is designed to meet Bapco’s departmental needs for highly trained individuals who are immediately useful to the teams operating and maintaining the Refinery. Different learning paths are assigned depending on initial experience levels, with training initially conducted at the Oil and Gas Academy before later rotations through the Departments. Bapco also offers Industrial Training to expose young talent from a wide range of academic backgrounds to work in the Oil and Gas Industry. Students gain valuable industrial insight to help them in prepare for their eventual entry into the Kingdom’s job market - an important facet of sustainable development.

We make a sustained commitment to careers at Bapco. As the workforce steadily ages, those that retire must be replaced by cohorts of skilled employees. We conduct workforce planning to determine future demand and determine the succession plan by discipline, mapping required competencies to each job role. Training programmes are matched to the competencies to support the succession plan. We are especially proud of our experience pool represented by our senior employees (refer to some of the profiles in this report). The contribution made to so-called ‘twilight careers’ through coaching and mentoring is invaluable to reinforce knowledge transfer to more junior cohorts.