Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Corporation - Assignment Example

Written report: Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Corporation (Insert Name of the Student) (Insert Name of the Instructor) (Insert Name of the Course) (Insert Code of the Course) (Insert Submission Date) Executive summary This report looks into the training program of the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADOC) in the United Arab Emirates. The training programme is designed by the training and development team which is headed by the senior development and training advisor. The company offers both classroom and e-learning courses in order to provide wholesome development of their employees. This programme has enabled employee development of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Through the programmes efforts the company has also managed to attain the Associated Chartered of Certified Accountants (ACCA) Approved Employer qualification which is awarded to companies with high level of employee development systems. The company has an elaborate system of training evaluation model that is involves majority of the management team. The report also outlines the training needs analysis of the company and describes contents of the orientation and induction training offered. The selection of the staff to the training is done at the induction process for the Competency Assurance Management System (CAM) programme and during the working period for the ADOC training centre. The company training and budget plans are explained as reflected in the 2011 company survey. The company faces a problem in the CAM programme and it needs to address it in the future. It is therefore imperative to look into the company so as to have an insight into their training programme. TABLE OF CONTENTS Insert client name 12 1 Executive summary 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Introduction 4 Development of the training program and objectives 5 Types of training offered 5 Training benefits 6 Training Assessment 7 Training Needs Analysis 7 Orientation and Induction training 8 Staff selection for training and number of trainings in a year 8 Company training plan, budget and individual training plans 9 Learning outcomes used in adult learners 9 Problems encountered in training 10 Conclusion and recommendations 10 Works Cited 11 Introduction Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO) is an oil and gas onshore drilling company established in 1971 in the United Arab Emirates as a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Watts 7). The government owns majority of the company shares at 60% and this was purchased in 1974. The company was then incorporated in 1978 October 8th and now drills at six fields namely; Buhasa, Bab, Shah, Sahil, Asab, and North East Bab at an expanse of about 21,000 square kilometres. In 2008, the company set up a training center at one of the oil fields, Bu Hasa named ADCO Training Centre. The centre was established at the oil field because there were already inbuilt workshops but over the years more facilities and equipment have been installed. It was built under the CEO’s guidance, and the entire management team. Four trainers were selected from the four oil disciplines namely mechanical, instrument, operation, and electrical. More trainers in Information Technology, English, Safety, PIES and MAXIMO were also added to complete the team. Except the English teacher, the rest of the trainers represent the corresponding departments. The curriculum was tailored to the relevance of each operational field at ADOC though it borrowed heavily from the curriculum offered at ADNOC Training Institute and the experience of the engineers at the company. According to one of the training engineers, their experience covers over thirty years (Freeman et al. 15). This paper will explore the training development programme of the company, critically examining its objectives, developer of the programme, types of training offered, number of times training is offered and the benefits accrued. It will also explore orientation and induction training, training needs analysis, staff training selection, evaluation of the programme’s effectiveness, training plan, budget, common learning outcomes and the problems encountered in the conduct of training within the organisation. Development of the training program and objectives The ADCO training programme is designed by the training and development team which is headed by Wathik Y Al Sammarrai as the senior development and training advisor. Mr Wathik acknowledges that getting the right staff is a challenge due to the rapid development of the engineering sector that ADCO heavily relies on (Watts 7). The company therefore invests a lot of resources into the training program to ensure that the staffs fully exploit their talents. The program aims to find personnel who can lead the organisation towards achieving its vision 2020 plan, enhance the expertise of staff in the technological field, and also improve the working practices of the company (“Training and development”). Types of training offered The company offers training through the blended learning method. In this method they combine both e-learning and instructor led training. Much of the training however is done by instructors. They offer 75% hand-on training and 25% classroom based learning (Freeman et al. 14). The instructors are older engineers from the company who have great hands on experience in instrument, electrical, mechanical, and operations fields. This is carried out at the ADOC training centre. The company also has Competency Assurance Management System (CAM) which guides the new employees to achieve the basic knowledge required for higher skills development. The company has also set up an e-learning centre where employees can learn relevant subjects in relation to their field of work. ADCO has partnered with the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IchemE) in London, UK to offer their chemical and process engineers courses via e-learning. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) also offers e-learning lessons to the employees (Hassan). Training benefits There have been several sets of graduates from the computer aided manufacturing programme over the years since its inception. In 2013, two production engineers Maad Hasan Qayed and Mohammed Abdulla Al Bloushi were recognised for their having completed the programme within 3 years. Their achievement is an inspiration to other graduates undertaking the program (Freeman et al. 28). Four of the first batch of trainees in the mechanical department has also graduated from the ADCO training centre. Other than the ceremonial growth, employees have improved their knowledge, skills and abilities in their relative fields. According to one graduate of the centre, Mohammed Al Shehi, he now has the necessary skills to handle all the tasks given to him in the technical field (Freeman et al. 16). The company is very committed to training of staff as it believes it helps lower the turnover rate. In recognition of this, the company held the long term serving employee awards in 2011. The training has also brought external recognition of the company. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) acknowledged ADOC’s high training standards that helped it qualify for professional development: Approved Employer (Hassan). Through this qualification ADOC received continuous professional development tool for its accountants, a research tool and online courses to further the development plan. ADOC also won the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award (SKEA) in 2012 in recognition of its outstanding systems and procedures. Training Assessment The training is assessed through the 360 degree feedback assessment and performance and career review. The Competency Assurance Management System (CAM) success is reviewed through workshops such as the Bab and Gas Asset CAM workshop (“SE entry points workshop”). The workshop monitors the CAM employees’ progress and ensures that the ADNOC guidelines in training are adhered to. The managers also get feedback from the employees about the programme and how it is integrating in actual work and projects. The managers also share their views or concerns on the employees’ progress as they clarify any discrepancies. The coaches also share their views about the programme with the managerial team. At the ADOC training centre, the On-Job Trainers give daily theory and practical assessments especially with the new staff to make sure they comprehend what they are taught (Freeman et al. 15). The senior management also tours the centre regularly to ensure high standards of the course are maintained and to assess the trainee’s skill. The senior vice president of training also assesses the trainees on-site through interviews twice a month. Training Needs Analysis According to Barbazette a training needs analysis is important in a company to ensure that the resources reserved for training purposes are utilised adequately and also to safeguard the assets of the company (6). ADOC conducts a training analysis as and when the need arises. The first point of need was the creation of the learning centre after the management realised that there was a gap in the training offered by ADNOC training centre. Performance appraisals are used to assess current performance. The staff is encouraged to take it upon themselves to undertake the learning initiative (“SE entry points workshop”). However, upon need identification the employee is taken to the training centre where the lacking skill is impacted. Orientation and Induction training ADOC carries out both orientation and induction trainings. It employs expatriates with an experience of over three years and graduates from various institutions around the region. Once they are in, the human resource team conducts an orientation where new employees are briefed on the company history, the mission and vision of the company and most important the health and safety requirements. The company is ISO certified and that is why there is much emphasis placed on health and safety. The company then holds an induction workshop where the new staff are briefed on the ADCO process for personal development. This workshop seeks to make the new employees understand the value of learning expected by the company (“SE entry points workshop”). Competency Assurance Management System (CAM) is also introduced at this stage and the graduates absorbed. They are also briefed made of the ADOC training centre and the courses offered there and the reason as to why they are important to their personal development and to the success of the company. The training centre courses are however undertaken once you have started working. Staff selection for training and number of trainings in a year The selection team includes the training co-ordinators, coaches, line managers and supervisors (“SE entry points workshop”). The line managers and supervisors evaluate the performance of workers and then identify the staff that needs training. The candidates who are selected are assessed through interviews and sit for an English placement test. They also complete other recruitment formalities before joining the ADOC centre. As for the CAM candidates, they are selected during the initial job selection. The applications are sent online from university graduates. The recruitment team shortlists the candidates and those that make it through are absorbed into the CAM programme. The CAM trainings are therefore carried out once there is new intake of employees and the training continues as per the employee’s schedule. The ADOC centre training occurs all year round as and when the need arises. Company training plan, budget and individual training plans According to Fostering Our Society the training plan for ADOC is detailed and long-term based (54). The plan covers both technical and non-technical training. Technical training is for the four production departments mentioned above whereas non-technical is project management, organisational development, IT skills and others. They are also reviewed often to ensure that they reflect the company’s changing needs. The CAM budget is shared by the ADOC and ADNOC group and amounts to AED 1.5-2 million annually. The total budget spent by ADNOC the umbrella company in 2011 was over AED 78.5 million for over 900,000 labour training hours (Fostering Our Society 54). The company however does not have individual training plans. Learning outcomes used in adult learners At ADOC skills based and affective are the common outcomes in adult learning. Using skill based outcome it is expected that by the end of the programme and the trainee can be able to undertake a task without managerial monitoring, is able to carry out a task with all procedures observed. In affective outcome, it is expected that by the end of the program, the trainee will be interested to learn more, will be self-motivated and with a high sense of self-efficacy. Problems encountered in training The management has realised that the CAM program is not producing the desired results wholesomely. There are candidates who still lack the necessary skills to take up a particular job for which they have been trained. The 2010 Post-CAM survey revealed gaps in the graduate’s work experience (Freeman et al.19). Conclusion and recommendations It is recommended that Abu Dhabi Onshore Oil Corporation (ADOC) ought to look critically into the Competency Assurance Management System (CAM) programme and find out why there are gaps in work experience in graduates that have already undertaken the course. The programmes inefficiency may be causing the company to lose lots of money as is evidenced in their high training budget. In addition, it is also recommended that the company needs to have an individual training plan so as to exploit and harness individual talent. In conclusion, the training program for ADOC appears ambitious. They have invested alot in development of their staff to the extent of building a training centre. The assessment plan is also elaborate and involves key stakeholders. Top level managers, middle level managers and staff are all involved in the training programme which is a good indicator of employer-employee relation. Works Cited Barbazette, Jean. Training Needs Assessments: Methods, Tools, and Techniques. San Francisco:Pfeiffer, 2006. Web. 6 May 2013. “Fostering Our Society, Securing Our Future.” Abu Dhabi National Oil Company 2011 Sustainability Report. 2011: 7-78. Web. 6May 2013. Freeman, Paul, A., Hussain, Haider, A., Mckeown, Gerald, Kunchu, Balakrishan, and Ashraf Muhamed. “ADCO Training Centre: Bu Hasa- A Story of Continuing Success.” Al Waha. 31:1 (2013): 14-28. Web. 6 May 2013. Hassan, Emman. Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations Employee Development Recognised By Global Accounting Body. AMEinfo.com: The ultimate Middle East Business Resource. N.p. 20 Sep. 2008. Web. 6 May 2013. “SE Entry Points Workshop.” Al Waha. 30:4 (2012): 20-22. Web. 6 May 2013. “Training and Development.” Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations. 2013. Web. 6 May 2013. Watts, Mark. “Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.” Middle East Economic Digest 56:51 (2012): 6-7. Print. Read More