A Rigorous 39-Month Training Program for Newly Hired Engineers and Geoscientists

Abstract

Experienced engineers are reaching retirement age within the industry. This paper describes a rigorous program to train newly hired engineers and geoscientists over the course of 39 months. The program implements techniques to achieve a useful level of competency and establish a baseline level of the skill sets for professionals with very different educational backgrounds from around the globe. Newly hired professionals are assigned to specific training classes over the 3 years following their date of hire. Classroom studies are presented in time blocks of 8 weeks for the first year, 6 weeks for the second year, and 4 weeks for the third year. These classes are held in the USA, France, and the United Arab Emirates, ensuring students are exposed to the breadth of diverse cultures that characterizes our industry. Each of the classroom sessions concludes with a practical project, presented to an experienced audience, on the final day of class. However, before the students are admitted to the classroom, they must complete a series of preschool e-learning modules. These training elements present online videos, traditional text, and a proprietary online knowledge management system to enhance the subject matter. Thereafter, students must demonstrate mastery of the subject matter by passing online exams for each training element. The classroom instructors are experienced professionals and experts within their domain. The training materials are standardized and routinely updated so that the latest software and techniques are presented to the students in a uniform and consistent manner. Keeping the documentation current is a challenge, and so a very elegant system of content management is paired with on-demand printing. All of this is a supplement to the software help files available to all students and instructors. Despite the varied background of the students, all classes are conducted in English as the defined common language for business. Thus, language proficiency is essential, and additional language instruction is available, if needed. Feedback is essential to the success of this program. Students are assessed during the preschool exams and at each of several exams during the classroom program. Additionally, a final report is prepared for the managers to recap the overall performance, strengths, and development areas for each student. Beyond this, the students submit extensive feedback to the instructors on each of the classroom instruction modules and the preschool work. Information is captured through persistent online interfaces, as well as in face-to-face roundtable meetings with the students, instructors, and Learning Center managers at the conclusion of each class. Class surveys and roundtables are used to gauge student satisfaction and to spot recurring problems, as well as to identify areas for improvement. This program has been successful at developing highly proficient engineers and geoscientists across a broad category of disciplines.