On the 1st March 2017, STS celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of 54 participants in the Omani Graduate Development Program (OGDP). The OGDP is a 12 – 24 month intensive development program designed to grow and nurture fresh graduates into the workplace to become fully fledged employees in their chosen career. Currently the program offers places for graduates in Construction Engineering disciplines, QA/QC, Quantity Surveying, Material Control, HSE and Maintenance Engineering disciplines.
The graduation was attended by a number of dignitaries, and in particular, H.E. Salim Al Aufi – Undersecretary for the Ministry of Oil and Gas, Mr. Raoul Restucci – MD for PDO, Mr. Alex Clark – CEO for STS along with many other VIP guests from PDO and STS. Mr. Alex Clark said 'our vision is to ensure that our graduates and the OGDP forms part of the fabric of our business for the future..'
H.E. Salim Al Aufi, Mr. Raoul Restucci and Mr. Alex Clark all gave speeches encouraging young Omanis to seek development with their employers and work hard to achieve and contribute toward the long term sustainability and success of Oman. All speeches were received with rapturous applause by one and all. In addition, 2 of the graduating candidates gave the audience an insight into the program and what it had meant to them, their careers and their families.
Once all the formalities were completed, all the graduates and select VIPs were on stage for a group photo to celebrate the auspicious occasion followed by a sumptuous lunch where the graduates had the opportunity to mingle with the VIPs and speak openly about their careers, the importance of the program and their plans for the future.
The OGDP was launched in 2014 as a result of a number of factors most importantly, the belief that STS's long term sustainability and commitment to ICV is dependent upon a skilled and motivated graduate workforce who are able to contribute to the success of the organization and develop into the leaders of tomorrow. Mr. Ali Al Shukri – ICV Manager for STST (STS and Tebodin Joint Venture servicing the EMC in North Oman) said at the event 'today is a day to celebrate the hard work of our graduates over the past 2 years….it is our plan to expand this program to other areas in STS and STST and offer development opportunities to many Omani graduates..'
The objective of the program is to provide a structured process for the employee to focus their attention on the key competencies of their designation as well as to provide on the job training in those areas. The employee is also expected to gain an understanding of non core elements that impact on their role. At all times, the employee is supported by an allocated mentor in their respective discipline. The role of the mentor is to provide guidance and support to help the employee learn, understand and show competency in the elements attached to their discipline. The program is supported by STS' training department to ensure consistency and provide quality assurance to the program. The process is designed to make the employee feel part of the STS family and understand how their role impacts on the success of the business. At the end of the program, the employee is able to work independently in their chosen discipline. Mr. Ibrahim Al Khusaibi – HR and Administration Manger commented 'it is without doubt, the hard work of our site managers and allocated mentors and the STS Training Team, which has brought to where we are today. Our graduates now move onto the next stage of their career where they fulfill the roles and responsibilities of their chosen roles to become leaders of the future…'
Currently there are 50 more graduates undergoing the OGDP with new streams encompassing Finance and Procurement with plans to expand into Administration, Information Technology and more.