Energy Industry Competency Development Initiative (EICDI)
An internationally competent workforce is more than ever critical to succeed in an irreversibly flat world. An effective and efficient economy needs motivated, educated and well trained people. It should also be recognized that a skilled, competent and effective workforce is fundamental to a successful organization. A competent workforce also offers several benefits, such as;
- Corporate performance
- Development of peopl
- Health and Safety performance
- Retention and recruitment
- Demonstrable integrity
- No training duplication
- Access to markets
- Effective way to demonstrate your advantage
These benefits are crucial to surviving into today's turbulent economic times. On of the most important being able to access international markets in such difficult times, a highly competent and well trained workforce is the vehicle through which this can facilitated.
The Trinidad and Tobago energy sector needs to develop a standardized method for determining, assessing and certifying competencies, especially for technicians employed by contractors and service companies carrying-out work, in both the upstream and downstream sectors. The lack of an industry wide system for assessing and certifying competency for particular tasks makes the process of contracting services more complex and introduces risk, for both the major client companies and the service providers and at times may prevent the export of energy services which is key to promoting the sector.
A person's competence is ‘a capacity that leads to behaviour that meets the job demands within the parameters of the organisational environment and that, in turn, brings about desired results' (Boyzatis). Having a description of the nature of competence is a starting point, but it is only part of the story. What is also needed is the expression of that model in methods and techniques which can be used to represent occupational competence is a way which will enable us to;
• Describe work roles with precision
• Employ qualifications which recognize capability and competence
• Adhere to participative learning systems which will enable learners to develop their competence
• Adhere to open, fair and just systems of assessment.
The Energy Industry Competency Development Initiative (EICDI) is an initiative that was conceptualized by a group comprising STCIC, NTA, PLEA, AOUTT, TOCA as well as other. Overall the main thrust of the Initiative is to raise competency in the Energy Industry. The goal of the Initiative is to have a common competency framework for Energy Contractors' workforces, recognized and accredited processes, training bodies and assessors.
It is expected that this Initiative will develop and guide the implementation of a much needed industry- wide and industry-led competency development and assessment system for the energy sector in Trinidad and Tobago.
A Steering Committee comprising representatives of the major upstream operators, the downstream petrochemical and metals plants, off-shore contractors and service companies has been formed, under the Chairmanship of Mr. Jon Harris, Deputy Asset General Manager, BG T&T. The STCIC will act as the Secretariat of this initiative.
Initially the EICDI will concentrate on the following service sub-sectors:
(1) Drilling,
(2) Diving,
(3) Fabrication, and
(4) Operations and Maintenance.
The EICDI will take an incremental approach and initially work on technician and craft-level competencies in these four areas, in both the upstream and downstream sectors. In the longer-term it is hope to expand this initiative in both scope and geographically, to include a wider array of jobs and to include other CARICOM countries.
If the EICDI is to succeed, all stakeholders must commit themselves to being open and transparent about their current systems and must be willing to co-operate with each other. Accordingly, the Steering Committee wishes to invite all contractors and service companies in the energy sector to take part in this initiative.
The EICDI Steering Committee held its first inclusive workshop as part of the Trinidad and Tobago Petroleum conference held recently. This workshop was geared toward informing the industry as to what the exact goals of the Initiative were, how these were going to be achieved and to gather welcomed feedback from the industry representatives. At the workshop participants were privy to competency frameworks that were currently being used by companies such as Tucker, Neal and Massy Wood Group, RBG Ltd and Yara. The workshop was deemed a success and the feedback gathered was generally positive and constructive.
Other companies willing to participate are asked to forward details of their technical competency models to the STCIC. This information is required so we can undertake a thorough analysis of all existing competency models in the sector and the systems for assessment and certification; all in an effort to formulate the development of a uniformed system for Trinidad and Tobago. All responses will be treated with the strictest of confidence.
We look forward to you kind support and co-operation as we work together to develop and implement an industry-wide competency certification system for the energy industry.
For further information or to register your interest in being part of this initiative please email Priya@stcic.org or call 652-5613.
