One of the UK’s most successful mentoring programmes for project managers in the oil and gas industry, which is co-ordinated by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), has launched for its sixth consecutive year.
Fifteen mentees and 14 mentors from 17 oil and gas companies are taking part in the annual Oil and Gas Industry Project Management Mentoring Programme 2020, which is going ahead despite the current Covid-19 pandemic.
An online event was held for those involved in this year’s initiative, including members of the Offshore Project Management Steering Group (OPMSG), as well as participants from previous years, who offered top tips on how to get the best out of both the programme and the relationships they will be forging in coming months. Mentors and mentees will continue to meet ‘virtually’ on a regular basis until December.
Evidence shows that while technical skills can be learned online or in a classroom, behavioural and leadership skills can be enhanced via mentoring. The eight-month programme allows qualified and experienced project practitioners to 'mentor-forward', imparting wisdom and providing guidance to less experienced project professionals with the aim of accelerating their performance and careers.
To date, 65 participants have benefited, many of whom are working towards chartered status with professional bodies such as the Association for Project Management.
ECITB chief executive, Chris Claydon, said that now, perhaps more than ever, the mentoring programme was essential to sharing learning and experience from the delivery of oil and gas projects, something that is vital to the future well-being of the sector.
“These are very challenging times for so many, including those working in the oil and gas sector which is once again facing huge difficulties and economic uncertainty in the months ahead due to the effects of this global pandemic,” he said.
“It is vital that we continue to support the industry through these difficult times and we were delighted that so many individuals applied to take part in this year’s programme. It requires a lot of commitment and hard work from both the mentor and the mentee; both sides learn a great deal, not just about the work they do, but also about themselves and their own ambitions.
“The ECITB is proud to support this and the other project management development programmes that the OPMSG is leading. The fact that we are now in our sixth year shows that the results speak for themselves.”
The companies taking part in this year’s programme are: Cephas Project Management; Churchill Drilling Tool (Rentals) Ltd; EnQuest; Neptune Energy; Oceaneering; Pearl Engineering Ltd; SafeSys Projects Ltd; Sealand Projects; Shell; Spirit Energy; Step Change Engineering; Stork; Subsea 7; Petrofac; Pro-Fection; TWMA and Worley.