02 July 2007
“Yemen LNG is committed to building the talents needed for tomorrow,” Mr. Joel Fort, the Company’s General Manager affirmed during a visit by senior Yemeni Government officials to Yemen LNG’s Training Centre and Workshop on Sunday, 1 July 2007. To keep relevant government bodies informed, the officials toured the training facilities and received a presentation about the theoretical and hands-on technical training scheme for the first group of trainees who, after graduation, will become technical operators in the Yemen LNG plant being constructed in Balhaf, on the coasts of Shabwa governorate.

Coordinated by the Ministry of Oil and Minerals, the officials included a Vice Minister and Deputy Ministers from the Ministries of Technical Education & Vocational Training, Higher Education, Education and Social Affairs and Labour in addition to several officials from the Ministry of Oil and Yemen LNG.

During the visit to the Training Workshop, the officials explored the workshop’s facilities and spoke to trainees. “In this location, we are receiving hands-on training on technical matters relating to our future job in Balhaf, after many months of theoretical training conducted by experts,” one of the trainees explained to visitors. The Workshop was furnished with technical equipment by Yemen LNG and hosted in one of the premises belonging to the Technical Education & Vocational Training Ministry.

Welcoming visitors, Mr. Fort highlighted that 194 trainees are now pursuing an 18-24 month intensive technical training programme begun in April 2006 – chosen from a pool of about 16,000 applicants received from all over the country. “The Company’s objective is to recruit Yemenis whenever possible, aspiring to reach 90% Yemenisation in all levels of responsibility once production has stabilised”, he asserted. “Above all,” he continued, “we are fully committed to becoming a world-class company with a national workforce that meets the highest standards of professionalism and efficiency. As you have heard, the trainees are already the “crème de la crème” and represent the entirety of the country”, he concluded.

From his side, Mr. Abdulwahab Al-Aqil, the Vice Minister of Technical Education and Vocational Training expressed satisfaction that his Ministry is already cooperating with the Company by hosting the workshop inside the premises of the Dhaban Technical Institute. Addressing the trainees, he urged them to make the most benefit possible from this unique opportunity. “You are an exemplary product of the type of cooperation that needs to be in place between the private and public sectors”, the Vice Minister concluded.

On behalf of the Ministry of Oil and Minerals, Mr. Abdulmalik Alama, the Deputy Minister said that he was pleased to see “young skilled Yemenis getting opportunities to develop themselves to become the workforce that will handle such an important operation. We are keen to have skilled Yemeni workers handling the operation of such a complex liquefaction plant in accordance with the highest health and safety standards,” the Deputy Minister added that he hopes this training approach would be replicated across the oil and gas sector. From his part, Mr. Ahmed Daris, Assistant Deputy Minister of Oil and Minerals, re-affirmed the Ministry’s “commitment to Yemenise and develop the capacities of Yemeni personnel in the oil and gas sector”.

Pleased to see the design and results thus far of the Training scheme, Mr. Mohammed Zabarah, the Deputy Minister of Education considered the Company’s efforts, backed by the Ministry of Oil, a step in the right direction. On behalf of the visitors, he also praised the Ministry and the Company for coordinating the visit which is, according to him, a clear demonstration to all concerned government parties of the spirit of integration and inclusion. “The group of trainees we met today are an example of how young Yemenis can combine both education and training to acquire professional skills in an area of great demand not only in Yemen but also worldwide”.

Mr. Ibrahim Abolhoum, Director General of Gas at the Ministry of Oil and Minerals, concluded by thanking Yemen LNG for taking the initiative to Yemenise its workforce from an early stage in the development of the project. According to him, Yemen LNG’s training scheme is unique because it has started preparing its national workforce whilst constructing the plant and pipelines.

“Upon completion of the training programme, some trainees will receive on-job-training in various LNG plants worldwide depending on their area of specialisation”, Mr. Christian Auge, Training Manager stated. The training for batch one of trainees covered a wide spectrum of skills, ranging from administrative to technical, to enable trainees to take on operational positions in Balhaf. “The performance of trainees is closely and constantly monitored and those who succeed would gradually take over supervisory positions carried out by expatriates after start-up and commissioning period once they have developed the required skills and experience”, he reiterated. “Additional intakes of trainees will continue to be identified and trained to take the place of other Yemenis who will be promoted to higher positions,” he stressed.