Training and Development
T&D: Helping deliver best-in-class training for company, Kingdom, and the future
Training and Development works to build a workforce well-equipped to meet the evolving nature of Aramco’s operations and the Kingdom’s economy.
As part of Aramco’s Human Resources, Training and Development (T&D) delivers services across a wide range of areas and provides critical training in line with Aramco’s Digital Transformation strategy.
All of this is done to nurture a workforce for the future, says T&D general manager Sami T. Al Murshed.
“T&D contributes to the creation of a workforce that is well-equipped to meet the requirements and the evolving nature of both Aramco’s operations, and also the Kingdom’s economy as outlined in Vision 2030,” Al Murshed explains.
Industrial training for the new millennium
One of T&D’s best-known programs, the Industrial Training Department (ITD) Aramco Apprenticeship Program, has been responsible for training nearly 70% of the company’s workforce.
After being chosen through a highly selective recruitment process, trainees are dispatched to one of seven Industrial Training Centers in the Kingdom. There, they are enrolled in the Apprenticeship Program for Non-Employees and Vocational College Graduate Non-Employee program, receiving training needed for careers in the company’s industrial workforce.
T&D provides trainees with smart learning environments, employing technology such as smartboards, iPads, and distance learning platforms.
“T&D never stops finding new ways to address the challenge of building a skilled workforce,” said Mohammed T. Alsubaiei, director of ITD.
Whether it’s virtual and distance learning options or immersive virtual reality, we strive to stay ahead of the curve in training.
— Mohammed T. Alsubaei
Higher education, here and abroad
T&D develops Aramco’s Arab employees educationally, placing them in top academic programs around the world to acquire critical professional skills.
The College Degree Program for Non-Employees (CDPNE) creates a pathway to employment for non-employees by sponsoring them to attend top universities and obtain degrees in fields important to the company’s operations.
The Advanced Degree Program (ADP) provides employees with opportunities to pursue advanced degrees at international universities.
In addition to these programs, the Hosted University Program provides employees with the chance to work while pursuing advanced degrees through best-in-class universities worldwide.
“We strive to build a pipeline of top talent for Aramco, starting with our early education programs, continuing with our Qudarat and Tahsili college exam prep classes, extending to our efforts to send gifted young Saudis to the best colleges at home and abroad, and of course, supporting our employees to continue their higher education,” said Wail S. Abolkhair, acting director of the Academic Programs & Partnerships Department.
Reaching out to, and upskilling the future Saudi workforce
A product of strategic partnerships between Aramco, government entities, and the private sector since 2008, National Training Centers (NTCs) are an integral training element, too.
So far, the 12 NTCs have graduated more than 32,000 young Saudis in 50 vocational trades, with a target of more than 100,000 trainees graduating by 2030.
The NTCs fall under the guidance of T&D’s Local Workforce Development Department.
Saad M. Al-Shahrani, administrator of Training Capacity Development, said the NTCs align extremely well with Saudi Vision 2030 with a goal “to expand vocational training to drive economic development” while also helping reduce unemployment and supporting key sectors and increasing female participation in the workforce.
“A dedicated female training center has been created for that purpose,” he said.
Aramco also provides invaluable work experience to college students through its University Internship Program and Vocational College Internship Program, which places university and vocational college students in work assignments at the company to help them make a smoother transition from school to career.
“We have a broad scope and the efforts of our people are ensuring that workforce capabilities are built robustly, with best-in-class training, alongside development and education programs,” said Mohammed A. Marry, director of the Local Workforce Development Department
Commitment to public service
T&D also engages in a number of outreach activities that support the development of the Kingdom’s education system, including:
• ACCEL International Center, which helps prepare students for college
• Ajyal International School for developmentally disabled children
• The Saudi Aramco Driving Center (SADC), a driver education facility for women.
Asma A. Altuwaijri, principal of the SADC, says that the initiative is a way of giving something back to communities and reduce economic costs as a result of motor vehicle accidents.
“Being a part of Aramco has driven SADC to not only provide high quality training for driving, but has meaningfully allowed us to contribute to the transformation of lives and to enhance our communities,” she says.
Embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution
T&D continues to embrace emerging technologies in its programs such as the Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) initiative, which improves Aramco’s use of VR technologies.
Adnan A. Zahrani, acting administrator of the Program Development and Evaluation Department, says: “Augmented reality (AR) allows us to give our trainees the most realistic learning scenario possible in a controlled and safe environment. AR can also be used to provide skill development during every stage of a person’s career.”