Lately, the term ‘local content’ has gained currency in the Oil and Gas Industry, mainly due to the fact that most countries have enacted laws to make it mandatory for specific industries including the Oil and Gas Industry.
So, what is local content for the Oil and Gas Industry? Local content refers to the development of local skills, technology transfer, the use of oil and gas manpower, and local manufacturing in the oil and gas sector. In sum, local content is building a local workforce that is skilled and trained to be part of a competitive supplier base. Local content is very crucial as it enables countries to ensure a level playing field for their citizens, provide Oil and Gas Jobs, and opportunities to the increasing population,and grow and generate benefits for the local economies.
In tune with the growing need for local content, GET Global, a leading upstream oil and gas industry player with footprints in Asia, America, Europe and the MENA region, offers local content or localization Oil & Gas Industry Training to young graduates looking for Jobs in Oil & Gas Industry, thus, preparing them for a fulfilling career in this sector while also enabling oil and gas players to fulfil the local mandates.
Kafayat
Kafayat is the name of the local content training program conducted by GET Global in Saudi Arabia. This ongoing local content training program was launched on March 16 2022 with 16 handpicked candidates from NITI and Dammam College of Technology. Once the training is complete, these graduates would be deployed in HAL Group of companies in Riyadh.
GET Global has implemented a blended approach with a mix of both offline and online mediums to provide the training. The local content training is conducted in three phases. In the first phase, representatives from the GET Global team screen and select suitable candidates from a pool of graduates from local technical colleges (Industrial Mechanics, Electrical, Chemical Electronics) and universities (Engineering and Science). The screening is based on GPA, English language skills,knowledge of technical terminology and concepts, and personal interviews.
Once selected the candidates undergo an extensive five-week blended learning training program where they are introduced to the oil and gas industry in general; the local oil and gas value-chain; the HSE of the operations; and a technical overview of the many service lines such CT, WT, Pressure pumping, N2 purging. Besides, they are also trained in soft skills and presentation skills so that they can work within the globalized working environment. The second phase of training also includes external certifications of H2S, Fire Fighting, and Firs-Aid courses.
Once the students clear the local content training program, they are deployed to the respective client organization, for instance, in this case, the HAL group of companies based in Riyadh. Here, they undergo three months of on-the-job training, after which they are permanently hired.
GET Global bears the cost of the training. The participants also receive a training allowance after the completion of the 5 weeks program.
At the end of the training, the students are ready for deployment at the HAL group of companies where they can add value by ensuring that the company can immediately increase the Saudi Persons on board count on location as per the local mandate and positively impact its IKTIVA score upon deployment of these young Saudi operators. Further, after the agreed upon time frame, these recruits are transferred to HAL headcount, which immediately improve sits Saudization ratio.
Benefits of the Kafayat Program
The objective of the program is to ensure a sustainable flow of competent and well-trained local youths for the company operations in Saudi Arabia. The program equips young graduates with real expectations of the industry while also helping them mitigate and manage the risks associated with the oil and gas operation. At the end of the training, the recruits can successfully complete the crucial first three months of employment and beyond.
Conclusion
In developing countries, local content has become a key driver of economic activity and development. This is why several resource rich countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are increasingly mandating local content requirements in their framework. Local content enables greater local participation in the industry. However, to increase participation, it is important that the local population is trained and skilled to the needs of the industry. GET Global plays a crucial role in ensuring that oil and gas service providers & companies are able to fulfill the local mandates by providing custom local content training to young graduates, thus, enabling them to become productive participants in economic activities in their countries and benefiting from the fruits of employment.
