Bridging the skills gap

Saudi Arabia

Bassam Al Bokhari, CEO of Saudi Petroleum Services Polytechnic (SPSP), talks to The Energy Year about the challenges Saudi Arabia faces in developing the human resources needed to sustain its growth and the institution’s key objectives. SPSP is an independent, non-profit vocational training institution created to support the energy sector.

How challenging is it for Saudi Arabia to develop the human resources needed to sustain growth?
Developing human resources is a critical challenge for Saudi Arabia as it seeks to diversify its economy. The country has made significant progress in recent years, but we are still overcoming challenges, such as a shortage in skilled workers in certain sectors and a need for more job opportunities for Saudi women and youth.
To address these challenges, the kingdom launched Vision 2030, which aims to transform the economy and create new job opportunities. The vision includes several measures to develop human resources, such as investing in education and training programmes, promoting entrepreneurship and expanding opportunities for women and youth.
At SPSP, our role is to give our trainees the right skills and competencies and to select the right people for each role, which will help companies sustain their operations and ensure excellence at all levels.

Who are the main stakeholders of SPSP, and what are its main objectives?
SPSP’s primary stakeholders are its founders, which are the Ministry of Energy, Technical & Vocational Training Corporation, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabian Chevron and Aramco Gulf Operations Company. In addition, SPSP has many stakeholders who are contributing positively to its success. These stakeholders include board members, government licensers, sponsoring companies, trainees, accrediting bodies and staff.
SPSP is also fully supported by the Human Resources Development Fund. Our board of trustees and the well-built training model represent a stamp of confidence for our clients. We want SPSP to be globally recognised as a best-in-class institute with the highest operational excellence standards.
Our main objective is to actively support the Saudisation process under Vision 2030 by creating a competent workforce capable of delivering real value to their companies.
Aside from technical training, we also want to ensure that we form the future leaders of the energy sector. It’s important that they not only know what they’re doing and how to manage people but also that they understand the energy strategy of Saudi Arabia and become aligned with it.

Where does the institution stand in terms of international accreditations?
Our main strategy is focused on quality. Acquiring national and international accreditations is vital for SPSP for several reasons. Firstly, such accreditations provide a mark of quality and excellence, which can help attract trainees and staff and allow SPSP to be recognised among the most prestigious institutes in the world. Secondly, international accreditations ensure that SPSP’s programmes and curriculum meet high standards and are relevant to the needs of the job market. This will ensure our graduates will gain recognition and better employment opportunities. Accreditations often require SPSP to undergo rigorous evaluations and assessments, which can help identify areas for improvement and enhance the overall quality of SPSP’s training and services.
Therefore, SPSP continues to work toward achieving accreditations and licences from awarding bodies to improve and sustain the highest standards in training services. SPSP currently holds an accreditations’ portfolio with a total of 14 national and international accreditations.

How can in-kingdom training impact oil and gas companies’ labour costs?
In-kingdom training can have a significant impact on oil and gas companies’ costs. By providing training locally, companies can save unnecessary expenses that are usually associated with acquiring training services from abroad.
In addition, in-kingdom training can improve overall workforce productivity and efficiency. When employees are trained in the latest industry practices and technologies, they are better equipped to perform their jobs effectively and efficiently. This can lead to increased production, improved safety and reduced downtime, all of which can have a positive impact on the company’s bottom line.
Furthermore, in-kingdom training can help companies meet local content requirements and comply with government regulations. This can help strengthen the companies and improve their reputation in the local community, which can lead to increased business opportunities.
Overall, investing in in-kingdom training programmes can be a cost-effective way for oil and gas companies to develop a highly skilled and productive local workforce, reduce labour costs and improve their competitive position in the market.

How is SPSP developing women’s training?
The journey toward empowering women in the kingdom has accelerated. New doors and many opportunities are opened every day to fulfil the Vision 2030 reform plans in support of women and their standing, which contributes to achieving the sustainable development goals set forth by our government’s leadership.
SPSP took a lead in empowering women vocationally by offering specialised vocational training and guaranteed employment for women in the energy sector, where they can work in plants after their graduation. The first batch of female trainees have already graduated in two specialties, HSE and electrical, and we have plans to launch two more programmes in crane operations and process control.
We aim to boost women’s opportunities in the technical workforce in accordance with women’s rights and gender equality, which contribute to achieving the sustainable development goals set forth by our government’s leadership.
These women have equal opportunities. We are giving them the exact same model, measures and standards as men, and so far, they’ve proven they’re capable. We are confident that we will see major growth and outstanding results in this area.
At SPSP, we owe the success of our women vocational training programme to the vision and guidance of HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, the Minister of Energy, who has always prioritised women and youth empowerment and inclusion in the energy sector.

What is SPSP’s expansion strategy for catering to Saudi Arabia’s training needs?
In line with Saudi Vision 2030, SPSP has continued to transform and be an effective enabler for greater Saudisation goals and has set the pace in the energy and industrial sectors by providing a high level of technical and industrial training. Our transformation and growth plans address the future challenges of the industry by supporting all sponsoring companies’ corporate sustainability during their training journey.
Growth and expanding our training solutions and reaching new heights is an integral part of our strategy. This includes expanding our services and transferring our knowledge to other sectors, including the construction and maritime sectors. Since SPSP’s inception back in 2008, more than 12,000 trainees have graduated and are now enriching the energy sector. Now we have the capability to certify more than 8,000 trainees per year across all our training programmes.
At present we are working on various initiatives to cater to the training needs of our clients. These initiatives encompass the development of an advanced training programme that will focus on sustainability in the petrochemicals industry, renewable energy programmes, and the launching of a specialised advanced HSE centre in the Eastern Province. Additionally, part of our expansion is to open a training centre in the Western region to support companies in their human capital development strategy.

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