HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT LEADS OIL, GAS SECTOR TO ASTONISHING MILESTONES

BY SARAH SAMIR

The Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR) has been keen to develop the capabilities of its human resources. Through the Modernization program’s 3rd pillar, the Ministry has been working on developing talents and preparing them to be the future leaders. Whether through its Middle Management program, or the Young Professional program, the Ministry has trained human cadres to lead a promising oil and gas future.

Middle Management Program

MoPMR is providing a thorough training program that comes in accordance with the latest international practices in order to enhance human development. The Middle Management development program is implemented with the help of sector IOCs and top international universities, to enhance the capabilities of future leaders.

The candidates for the Middle Management training are fairly selected as the Ministry pays great attention to equal opportunities in selecting candidates through several stages of tests that are subject to criteria of transparency and equality in selection.

In March 2023, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Tarek El-Molla, honored the graduates of the Middle Management Program Phase 2.

Through the program, the Ministry aims to support young talents with the chance to learn about the latest practices and modern methods implemented in the largest international companies. Through the program, the enrolled get to gain different experiences, adding key skills and expertise to their career, preparing them to be the future Egyptian leaders and to be capable of serving the country, not only the oil and gas sector. The Ministry signed several cooperation protocols and agreements to develop middle management, including the joint memorandum of intent (MoI) with IEOC, part of the Italian energy company

Eni, to cooperate in training middle management cadres, which was signed in February 2023.

Capacity Building, Developing Talents

As a part of the modernization program, the Ministry is keen to develop its talents and ensure building the of human capital. This comes as the Ministry aims to develop the oil and gas sector's workforce and to introduce a comprehensive talent management system.

The Human Capital Productivity program, which includes the senior management evaluation and succession aims to build and sustain transformational leaders for the future. The program further features the safety capability building and culture change program, which aims to develop and sustain health, safety, and environment (HSE) culture inside the oil and gas industry.

In this regard, the Ministry signed several memoranda of understanding (MoUs), including the one signed with Kuwait Energy Egypt in February 2023 to provide capacity buildings for operation safety and assets integration teams.

Young Professionals

The Ministry is adapting the Young Professionals program (YPP) to create a dynamic pool of youth who have a competitive chance and equal opportunity to help them lead future growth. This program helps young professionals set a clear career path and develop their capabilities.

The Egypt Petroleum Show and Exhibition (EGYPS 2023) featured a Youth Engagement Program (YEP) and a YPP. The YPP hosted around 450 university students and aimed at meeting with the industry’s young professionals, sharing viewpoints, and exchanging opinions with the sector’s senior representatives and top executives. Meanwhile, the YEP was attended by 200 high school students and it created a platform to get their interest, and to introduce the student to future career opportunities in the energy sector. The programs were sponsored by ExxonMobil and they included a number of edutainment and experiential zones such as robotics, engineering, artificial intelligence, and cyber security.

Through the different programs in the human capital development pillar, the MoPMR is keen to develop its cadres and empower them to a level of great success. These programs will not only empower the sector’s employees, but will help attract new talents to the sector, and eventually lead the sector to achieve huge milestones.