In late August, seventeen ExxonMobil trainees graduated in a ceremony held at the Kumul Petroleum Academy (KPA) at Idubada. The trainees completed a one-year full-time course and achieved City and Guilds certification in their respective disciplines. Eleven trainees received their certificates in plant process operation, and six were certified as instrument maintenance technicians. Notably, four of the seventeen graduates were female.
The graduation ceremony featured speeches from guest speakers, including ExxonMobil Upstream Asset Manager Mr Breton Macdonald, Kumul Petroleum Holdings Senior Manager Mr Sikke Jan Wynia, and several trainees, as well as the KPA manager.
Echoing the sentiments of other speakers, Mr Sikke Jan Wynia congratulated the trainees on their successful completion of studies, stating, "Kumul Petroleum is proud to have sponsored KPA for almost 10 years, enhancing the capabilities of the petroleum industry workforce, including the seventeen graduates today from the 8th Junior Operations and Maintenance Staff Course."
Mr Wynia also highlighted that Kumul Petroleum is constructing a new training facility at Caution Bay, which will provide improved facilities and allow for additional courses to further raise the technical standards of Papua New Guinea’s national industrial workforce.
Guests at the graduation included family and friends of the graduates, ExxonMobil personnel, and the staff at KPA. The event was also enlivened by a Motuan music and dance troupe.
The graduates are part of the 9th cohort to complete their training at KPA. City and Guilds is a United Kingdom-based awarding body for skills development. The trainees' education included an introduction to the oil and gas industry, safety training, knowledge in their chosen disciplines, practical on-the-job training, and coaching in the well-equipped workshops and the Safe Live Process Plant located at KPA’s Idubada campus.
Since its inception in 2016, 186 trainees sponsored by ExxonMobil, Oil Search, Santos, and Kumul Petroleum Holdings have graduated from KPA. The academy has a three-year contract with Santos to provide training and is currently preparing to welcome the 10th cohort of ExxonMobil-sponsored trainees in the coming weeks.
