Delegation from Iraqi Ministry for Oil to visit Scotland

21 September 2011

Following the signing of a landmark agreement with the Iraq Ministry for Oil to help the war-torn country develop the skills and training necessary to exploit its hydrocarbon resources, OPITO is welcoming a senior delegation from Iraq on a fact-finding mission.

The delegation, made up of nine senior figures from Iraq’s Ministry for Oil and the deans of the four oil technical institutes in Basrah, Kirkuk, Baghdad and Tikrit, will kick-start their four day visit at OPITO’s headquarters outside Aberdeen.

They will learn how OPITO has effectively used e-learning to deliver pan-industry skills initiatives such as MIST (Minimum Industry Safety Training) which has now been used to train 48,000 oil and gas workers in its first year.

The delegation will also visit the newly refurbished oil and gas technical academy, ASET, the Robert Gordon University campus in Aberdeen and Adam Smith College in Kirkcaldy.

Under the terms of the agreement signed in Amman, OPITO will work with the Ministry to understand the skills needs and provide specialist guidance and support to help the country build a world-class learning infrastructure. This will ensure that the people of Iraq can obtain the skills, knowledge and qualifications needed to access jobs in the country’s oil and gas industry for now and in the long-term future.

OPITO is also working on designing a fit-for-purpose workforce development framework for Iraq based on the global OPITO standards and qualifications.

David Doig, OPITO Group Chief Executive (pictured), said: “This is an exciting opportunity for OPITO and acknowledgement of the high regard in which our standards are held globally. But more importantly this is a major step forward for the people of Iraq, who if they are to successfully re-build their country must create a safe, sustainable and profitable oil and gas industry. Working in partnership with the government and the industry in Iraq, we have set out a broad strategy which will help build the skills base through use of standards and qualifications, best practice and proven learning products.”

Iqdam Hashim Al-Shadeedi, Director General for the training and development directorate of the Iraq Ministry for Oil, added: “We are looking forward to our visit and the learning it will offer. We place a high value on this partnership with OPITO. It will be a significant factor in developing the skills of the Iraq nation and ensuring world class industry standards and qualifications. It represents the first steps in re-building our nation’s workforce and reputation.”

OPITO is wholly owned by the oil and gas industry and is responsible for ensuring it has a safe, skilled and competent workforce. With operations in Aberdeen, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur, OPITO delivers standards, qualifications and workforce development frameworks used by employers in 30 countries.