Building a worldwide talent pool of diference-makers

At the beginning of this year, Jean Paul de Jong became CEO of WTS Energy with the ambition to support energy producers in the transition to sustainable energy. The training and stafng company for the energy industry is growing rapidly, with the opening of their new ofce in Monaco last month, bringing the number to 21 ofces worldwide.

Ofshore Magazine catches up with him in his ofce at their headquarters in the Hague, where he has just returned from an inspiring trip to the US and Mexico.

How was your trip?

“You must think I was in Texas before talking about winning oil,” Mr De Jong says, “but now I was there to talk about wind turbine construction and maintenance. And I was in Mexico to discuss the creation of our new learning centre which we plan to open this year; but a lot still needs to be done.”

What does this have to do with ofshore?

Mr De Jong, continues, “Nothing, and everything. There are more similarities than diferences when it comes to rigging, connecting, and maintaining wind turbines in remote onshore locations or at sea. At least when you look at it from my HR perspective.”

What perspective is that?

“I have been active in HR and stafng services for seventeen years. And that is also the added value of WTS Energy. My belief is that whatever you do as a company depends on the people who do the work. That means you must put people frst. You must adopt Human Centric thinking.”

Human Centric? What does that mean to you?

“The work that must be done, before we can charge our phones, is sometimes quite dangerous”, Mr De Jong explains. “Throughout the production process of energy, the risks people need to take are real and simply unimaginable to the most of us working in an ofce. What I term as Human Centric is our focus on teaching those in hazardous roles about the risks they take and how to minimise these risks. In Nigeria, we’re engaged with a project on an FPSO with a team of qualifed engineers. One team member is Perekebina Ebikeme, or Pere as I call him. A family man, 35 years old, married, and father of two children. It’s my duty to ensure his safety. That is why we are proud of our safety record, having successfully executed entire projects involving up to 260 engineers with zero injuries in the past eight years, thanks to our Human Centric policies.”

Mr De Jong continues, “Pere has been working via WTS Energy since 2019. Our on-the-job training has helped him progress from a material control trainee to a certifed ofshore storekeeper who is fully responsible for ensuring that materials are available for operational needs, ensures the safe and environmentally responsible handling of inventory and orders, and is adept in following procedures for calamities and hazardous substances.”

How do you see WTS Energy transforming?

“Like the energy companies we work for, we are facing unprecedented change”, Mr De Jong elaborates. “The shift towards renewable energy keeps accelerating. The technology to break free from our dependence on oil and gas is here. This transition, however, does not only depend on renewable energy technology. It’s also about people. It’s about passionate, dedicated individuals who are willing to make a diference. We therefore help energy pioneers to fnd these people, as well as fully-fedged teams of experts that operate and manage projects. I believe that the hardest jobs are the most rewarding. Challenging opportunities lead to satisfying work and vice versa. I want to keep the fywheel of challenging opportunities and satisfying work spinning, while contributing to society. We see business as a force for good. Not a fufy feel-good cloud, but as concrete as possible. We focus on contributing to SDG 7 and 8.”

Can you explain how?

Mr De Jong, “We have opened learning centres in, but not limited to, Gabon and Kenya. Here, local technicians and engineers are being trained for local domestic high voltage networks and PV solar installations, ready to help national and international energy pioneers. Within the coming year we expect to open our learning centre in Mexico. But our commitment doesn’t end there. Our purpose goes beyond simply training individuals. We see ourselves as agents of change, bridging the gap between traditional energy sources and the renewables of tomorrow. By fnding and nurturing passionate, dedicated individuals, we are building a talent pool of diference-makers across the world.” i. wtsenergy.com

FROM THE EYES OF THE PEOPLE:

Ofshore life with Perekebina Ebikeme

Perekebina Ebikeme has been working via WTS Energy for three and a half years now. He is always documenting his daily life and milestones on social media along with his colleagues in which he has many good things to say about working ofshore. He is now based on an FPSO in Nigeria. There, he has grown professionally, starting as a trainee in materials controlling to now working full time as storekeeper and getting certifcations in a topic he is passionate about: safety. Regarding safety, he recounted to WTS Energy one situation where he proudly enforced such skill. “I value the ability to use the stop work authority to stop a job that is not done in a safe manner. A worker was carrying out a chipping task without a face mask, so I was able to stop him to let him know the implication of the task and provided a face mask to continue the task.” In fve years, Mr Ebikeme sees himself growing even more with WTS Energy’s organisation. He says, “WTS Energy has helped improved my thinking faculties and my approach to things because I’m exposed to professionals from diferent cultures, background, and works of life coming together to achieve a common goal.”

Mr Ebikeme’s dedication to his work and continued growth make him a change-maker that WTS Energy is proud of.