Judith Luberski –Vice President Upstream Talent and Learning, BP
Over the next 20 years, global energy growth is expected to be dominated by emerging economies, with primary energy use growing by nearly 40 percent*. As a result, the exploration and production (E&P) industry will be tasked with accessing hydrocarbons in new, more challenging frontiers. These challenges will require increased skills, capabilities and technologies across the world; meeting them starts with a disciplined, methodical and long-term learning and development plan. Whilst the focus has often been around talent attraction, retaining and maximising the capabilities of the existing workforce is paramount.
Building capability is not all about training new talent at the beginning of their careers: it is necessary to develop and increase the operational capability of employees throughout their careers. As a result, there are requirements for a variety of different types of learning. A blend of formal classroom training, experiential learning and purposeful mentoring, ensures that employees of all experience levels receive the most appropriate development. Simulation and mobile technology will increasingly add flexibility to how industry staff learn and demonstrate competence.
Within multinational organisations, a standardised approach to learning and development helps to ensure staff, from all areas of the globe, have access to consistent training and career development programmes.
To facilitate this, BP has invested heavily in capability building. Earlier this year, BP opened its second Upstream Learning Centre in Sunbury, as part of its commitment to encouraging and accelerating learning. This is BP’s second centre after Houston – technology is central to the offering and strengthens access to learning in the Eastern Hemisphere via distance learning technology, at the same time enhancing the Upstream curriculum with purpose-built well control training simulators.
One aspect of learning that is becoming more prominent with technological advances is the use of immersive and experiential training. Replicating the complex methods and procedures used aboard drilling rigs, refineries and on production platforms improves learner engagement and creates a more realistic learning environment. Another aspect of learning which is seeing an increased focus is on-the-job learning. Shortening time to autonomy is important for all oil companies and this type of learning ensures a high-degree of competence and improves original, technical decision making.
Whilst monetary investment in employee learning and development is critical, formal programmes alone are not a proven recipe for success, and in some corporate cultures formal learning can become a ‘tick box exercise’. Informal learning, the passing on of knowledge to emerging talent, and fostering a collaborative culture is of equal importance. There is a need to ‘develop’ as well as formally ‘train’ our employees and this can only realistically be achieved through focused mentoring programmes.
In some countries, BP works closely in partnership with the National Oil Companies. For example, major oil companies have historically partnered with in-country universities to work together to create curriculae that better equip students with the knowledge, technology and expat expertise required for today’s industry. We should seek closer collaboration with universities to support focused, regional learning and development programs.
This broad collaboration with governments, resource holders and universities not only stimulates the local economy, but demonstrates a commitment to the areas in which we operate.
Nurturing talent and having an engaged workforce goes right to the heart of our industry’s competitive advantage as we compete for talent. Maintaining the talent pipeline is particularly important today as the energy industry faces an impending shortage of, and increased competition for, many of its professional disciplines. To compete with other market participants for access to the talent required to operate, the industry must respond to the learning and development demands of its employees. We either adapt to these new requirements, or, it is clear employees will seek better alternatives – perhaps even choosing a career outside the oil and gas industry.
The challenge for the industry is to position E&P as the “employer” of choice, by investing in building up capability in both established and emerging regions. This will increase diversity and create exciting and fulfilling long-term career paths built on life-long learning and career development. Applying a long-term approach to employee development will help to ensure the integrity of the pipeline of competencies, skills and, most importantly, performance needed for the industry to not just endure, but to thrive.
*BP Energy Outlook 2030
