Workforce development

One of the most important partnerships ExxonMobil PNG has in Papua New Guinea is with the workforce. There are nearly 3,200 people working for PNG LNG, 86 percent are Papua New Guinean and 19 percent are Papua New Guinean women.

ExxonMobil PNG Public Policy Manager, Susil Nelson-Kongoi, says the company’s workforce is its greatest asset.

ExxonMobil PNG’s workforce development program is structured to provide Papua New Guineans the experience and competencies needed to run the business for many decades to come.

Since the start of production staff have received almost 228,000 hours of training which is in addition to the almost 2.2 million hours of training delivered during construction.

ExxonMobil PNG Pipeline Supervisor, Noah Pingin, experienced firsthand the benefits of the company’s investment in people and training.

“When we were in training, I thought I knew everything in theory. When I got onsite I realised I didn’t understand a lot of the technical aspects being thrown at me and it was a shock.

“ExxonMobil PNG’s on-the-job training took me from the classroom arena and gave me the right tools and knowledge to build my technical skills,” he said.

ExxonMobil PNG is continuing to build the skills of Papua New Guineans through training programs focused on developing the technical skills of the production workforce, including building the capacity of graduate engineers and Operations and Maintenance trainees.

Since the first intake in 2010, more than 200 Papua New Guineans have been recruited through ExxonMobil PNG’s Operations and Maintenance training program, which includes full-time on-the-job training in operations and maintenance trades.

Technicians from the first two intakes of the Operations and Maintenance training program are now becoming leaders in their respective fields.

“The investment made in the workforce today is what will sustain and grow our business in the future,” said Susil.