19 October 2008
“We experienced vivid memories of happiness, intensity and even exhaustion at times”. With these strong emotions a young Yemeni graduate described the two-year technical training scheme that trainees went through. The programme was designed to build the technical workforce required to operate the Company’s liquefaction plant in Balhaf. The graduation of this intake of 109 young Yemeni Technicians, Technical and Administrative Assistants and Fire Fighters marks the achievement of the basic technical manpower necessary for the commissioning and start up of the plant in 2009.

In a joyful event at the Sana’a Movenpick Hotel on 15 October 2008, under the auspices of H.E. Mr. Amir Salem Al-Aidarous, Minister of Oil and Minerals (MOM), another intake of technical trainees graduated, increasing the number of trainees who have passed the training, and hence officially joined the core Operations’ organisation, to 204 young Yemenis. Among those are 74 graduate technicians from Marib and Shabwah – the two governorates where the Company operates.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Joel Fort, Yemen LNG’s General Manager, congratulated the graduates and those who contributed to the success of this remarkable achievement in support of Yemenisation of the Company’s workforce. “Yemen LNG is very pleased that you have successfully completed your theoretical and hands-on training programme,” he stated.

H.E. Minister of Oil and Minerals expressed, in a statement delivered on his behalf by Mr. Mohammed Al-Mutawakel, Director General of Yemenisation at MOM, his sincere congratulations to the graduates. He also considered the Yemen LNG training programme “a role model that has already influenced other players in the industry in Yemen” in building a skilled Yemeni workforce from an early stage. He encouraged graduates by saying, “you have the right to be proud of yourselves, as it is a success for Yemen as a whole”. “But, remember that you will need to continue developing your skills by applying the knowledge in practice in the workplace” he concluded.

In their graduation speech, another trainee thanked companies and organisations that has hosted the trainees during the on-the-job training namely, SAFER, Aden Refinery, Jennah Hunt and the PT Badak, SEGAS and DEZ Gas LNG plants, Oman Gas and Fire Safety Engineering College in Oman. They also reiterated their determination to “maintain the same level of enthusiasm and spirit of self-development in the years to come”.

Participated at the distribution of certificates besides Mr. Fort was H.E. Eng. Alawi Bafaqih, Vice Minister of Technical Education and Vocational Training (MoTEVT), Mr. Al-Mutawakel, as well as Mr. Hadi Abu Lohoom, Deputy Minister of Technical Education and Vocational Training. MoTEVT has been part of the training programme by hosting and facilitating the practical training and development of trainees at its Thahban Technical Institute in Sana’a.

Despite the highly technical and the limited LNG experience in Yemen, the Company has already achieved 67% Yemenisation for positions in its core organisation. The percentage will grow as expatriates gradually transfer knowledge and hence provide Yemeni technicians with the necessary experience to take over senior Operations positions during the few years to come.

The ceremony was attended by representatives from the Ministries of Oil and Minerals and Technical Education and Vocational Training, in addition to the Yemen LNG Sana’a-based personnel.