Following two years of development, Aberdeen Drilling Consultants recently launched its new ADC Virtual Academy division, offering what they believe is the world's first online course focused on drilling equipment for the oil & gas industry.
‘Understanding Drilling Equipment' is a foundation course designed to help participants achieve a greater understanding of the equipment on offshore or landbased drilling rigs. The course can be accessed anywhere where there is a broadband internet connection and participants can also choose to study at times that best suit themselves and their work schedules.
The result is substantial cost savings, in terms of time, travel and accommodation, compared with equivalent ‘classroom-style' training courses, said ADC managing director Douglas Hay. ‘The subject has never been taught and illustrated like this before. We have developed the Understanding Drilling Equipment course for new entrants to our industry – such as graduate engineers – and also for all existing personnel whose roles would be enhanced by a greater understanding of rig equipment.
‘We also see this course becoming an important element in the operating companies' training programmes to increase management understanding and also to provide an insight for their engineers, accountants, administrators, commercial and logistics personnel,' Hay added. ‘The aim is to achieve even greater competence, safety and efficiency by increasing understanding of the equipment used by drilling contractors and how it impacts on the operator's programme and budgets, should the rig break down.
The 30-hour course, developed on Absorb LMS, was some nine months in the making and includes animations from Aker Solutions, National Oilwell Varco and other OEMs providing drilling equipment and support to the rigs as a teaching aid. It has eight modules, including health and safety, drilling equipment, well control, mechanical equipment, electrical equipment, deck equipment and audit.
Each module is built on an introduction to the equipment, a breakdown of all the parts, how to inspect the equipment for (FARSI) functionality, availability, reliability, serviceability and integrity. ADC engineers and associates also give an insight into common faults that they have encountered over the years.
Engage and retain
Technical and health & safety training programmes provider Oilennium recently expanded its range of learning management system (LMS) online training modules for the international oil & gas industry and is making them available for individual purchase for the first time. Previously, the online userfriendly LMS training aids were only available to its corporate customers.
Over the past three years Oilennium says it has been creating not only study modules – over 20 of them to date – but a way of presenting them that ‘really works'. Highly interactive eLearning is crucial for today's industry, to ensure user engagement and maximise retention, said Kevin Keable, the company's founder and managing director. ‘We have a 100% record of positive feedback.'
‘Older style CBTs can be boring to the user and are simply glorified presentations put online,' he argues. With lively interactive exercises and colourful animations,' our eLearning modules are more akin to mini-documentaries', he added.
‘We learn most effectively when we're intrigued by the material, and compelled to respond to a quiz of our knowledge, followed by instantaneous feedback,' explained Oilennium's commercial manager Samantha O'Hara. ‘Whether it's learning about working at height or how to connect hammer unions, we aim to integrate a number of learning tools that will maximise retention. When a participant successfully completes a module, they will have gained a solid grasp of the subject matter.' OE
CRISIS TALKS: The Altor Risk Group is partnering with Falck Nutec
to create and deliver a range of new emergency and crisis
management training courses, including oil spill response, security
for international operations, major emergency management for ship
captains and OIM s (offshore installation managers), family liaison
from a company perspective and psychosocial care after traumatic
incidents. Aberdeen-headquartered Altor, established in September
2010 by the founders of Rubicon Response, says the partnership
agreement initially covers the UK and Abu Dhabi, with talks also
under way to facilitate it in Singapore. Altor MD Jim Walker is
pictured (left) with Falck Nutec MD Graham Gall.
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