Petrofac partnership agreements to develop the workforce of Southern Algeria

Petrofac, a leading provider of services to the global energy industry, announced partnership agreements with two Southern Algeria regions (Wilayas) to recruit and upskill trainees from the local population. The agreements were signed at an event which also celebrated the re-opening of Petrofac’s Hassi Messaoud construction skills training centre following a two-year closure due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Petrofac has been active in Algeria since 1997, with more than 85% of its in-country workforce sourced locally. The new agreements will initially see 80 locally-recruited Algerian delegates from the Ouargla and Illizi Wilayas join the training centre, designed and built by Petrofac in 2010, and give them the foundations for a career in the oil and gas industry. It will enable the transfer of Petrofac’s deep knowledge and experience in key trades to the local supply chain with the aim of further improving the safety and quality of projects in-country.

Petrofac’s Group Chief Executive Sami Iskander said:

“As a company we are committed to the development of Algerian talent and capabilities, and our Hassi Messaoud centre gives us the opportunity to deliver that on the ground. Our approach is centred around helping create a workforce to best serve the country’s strategic projects and further the Algerian government’s objectives of creating as much local value as possible. Today’s agreement with the Wilayas of Illizi and Ouargla is another demonstration of our commitment and we look forward to continuing to build a solid future here.”

The Hassi Messaoud training centre was upgraded and modernised in 2019, with authorisation and approval from Algeria’s Minister of Training and Professional Education, and has a capacity for up to 400 delegates annually. Facilities include well equipped, air-conditioned classrooms and large open workshops with state-of-the art equipment.

The curriculum covers five specialist trade areas - Instrumentation, Electrical, Mechanical, Pipework and Welding - with a strong emphasis on health and safety. Petrofac’s best-in-class applied training methodology provides students with the theoretical knowledge and essential practical skills they need to work in their chosen professional discipline upon graduation.

Locally recruited trainees have also been supporting Petrofac’s latest key projects at both the Tinrhert Field and Ain Tsila Development, in Southern Algeria. Activities are now in advanced stages. When completed, they will produce gas, LPG and condensate, for the local Algerian market and for export, enabling economic growth in-country.