A group of BP Mauritania and Senegal National Apprentice Technician Training Programme students – who previously completed a year-long qualification at Forth Valley College – returned to the College recently to complete an essential CompEx course.
The 11 students took on the CompEx Hazardous Areas course CompEx 01-04 Gas and Vapours and were delighted to return to the place where they underwent their initial training from late 2021 to December 2022, which was a collaborative project between FVC and Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) who acted as strategic partners to the global oil and gas giant.
FVC is the premier sector-leading provider of Hazardous Area Safety Training located in Central Scotland and offer nine CompEx courses including: Foundation, Gas and Vapours, Mechanical, Recognised Practitioners, Dust, Design, Responsible Persons and Water Utilities, and all are crucial to help the development of a competent and highly skilled workforce.
More than 1,000 candidates attend the state-of-the-art FVC CompEx Training Centre every year, providing some of the highest feedback scores and pass rates of any centre, and the BP group were delighted to return to complete their course here from Monday October 27 until Tuesday 4 November.
More information on CompEx courses at FVC can be found here https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/training/training-courses/compex
Aicha Zein, from Mauritania, a BP Trainee Technician on the GTA Project, said: “The course was really good and had a good structure. Everything was explained really well and really clearly. I would say it has been a transformative course for me. It has given us a clear knowledge of this area and the equipment we will be dealing with and I would recommend it.”
Cheikh Tijani, also from Mauritania and a BP Instrument Technician, also on the GTA Project, said: “It was a very informative course and is necessary for everyone who works in this industry. We received a lot of knowledge in only a few days and the facilities and lecturers were very good. I would recommend this course to other professionals.”
Danielle Wiseman, the College’s CompEx Centre Manager (SCT), said: “This course was tailored to support all the candidates that attended and accommodate their learning requirements. With both practical and theoretical aspects, it provided a fluid learning experience.
“The candidates’ enthusiasm and tenacious approach to the subject was reflected by their 100% pass rate. They were a pleasure to teach and I’m looking forward to welcoming similar cohorts of candidates to the college in the future.”
Amy Hay, FVC CompEx Trainer, said: “The students were all excellent and showed a strong willingness to learn. CompEx is notoriously challenging, so the fact that every student passed is a testament to their hard work and the effort they put into the course.”
Alistair McKean, FVC’s Training and Business Development Manager, said: “I’d like to recognise the team for the fantastic job they’ve done supporting this group of students through their Internationally designed CompEx Ex01-04 training program. Their commitment, professionalism and hands on approach made a real difference helping every student build their knowledge, hand skills and confidence needed to successfully pass CompEx Ex01-04 core Competence.
“The positive feedback from the learners speaks volumes about the quality of delivery and the supportive environment the team consistently creates for both our UK and International students. I’m genuinely proud of the work they do and the impact it has for all the students who show their support by giving the centre feedback scores that are nothing short of incredible. Forth Valley College is not just operating the busiest CompEx centre in the world, but one that is now regarded by many companies globally as the number one choice for CompEx hazardous area training and assessment.”
The BP Mauritania and Senegal National Apprentice Technician Training Programme which – trained a total of 46 apprentices over a 68 week period (12 weeks online) - developed and trained national technicians in the production, mechanical, instrumentation and electrical fields to prepare them to work safely, efficiently and compliantly on project facilities in the west African nations by attaining internationally recognised, accredited qualifications.
Progression saw them move into role as part of BP’s innovative, multi-billion-dollar investment to develop a world-class gas field on the maritime border of Mauritania and Senegal, where BP is the Operator to come on-stream, as well as some moving to role in assets in Trinidad, Indonesia, Oman and Azerbaijan.
All the apprentices were registered students of Forth Valley College and studied a range of oil and gas specific HNC qualifications within the College’s specialised lab and simulator environment at the Falkirk Campus, graduating with an SVQ Level 2 in Performing Engineering Operations and a HNC in either Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Measurement and Control (Instrumentation) or Chemical Engineering.
Sustainability was also a core aim of the programme as BP’s new strategy as of 2020, will seek to pivot from being an international oil company focused on producing resources, to an integrated energy company focused on delivering solutions for customers within a sustainability framework, linking the organisation’s purpose with net zero ambitions. The GTA project will therefore be within the Low Carbon Electricity and Energy stream of BP’s strategy.
