Skills shortages, already a challenge for operating companies, are predicted to become increasingly severe in the coming few years as a number of large-scale projects commence construction and come online across the country. In such an environment, innovative strategies to attract skilled workers from other industries and efficiently cross-train them in pipeline operations will provide operators with more options for recruitment.

Competency Training can help address the ongoing shortage of personnel who are qualified to work in specialised areas within the pipeline industry, such as explosive atmospheres and high-voltage electrical equipment.

Through its nationally recognised training platform, the company provides a range of electrical and hazardous area courses, including those that cross-train and up-skill qualified tradespeople to meet Australian and New Zealand standards for specialised tasks. The company’s popular five-day course in installation and maintenance of electrical equipment in hazardous areas, and associated two-day refresher, also provides the competencies needed by electrical workers, technicians and engineers to safely work with the equipment found in these environments.

Continual training and development of an existing workforce can also deliver better long-term resourcing outcomes for the industry. A tailored competency assurance management system (CAMS) is a smart way to approach workforce training for both existing and new workforces on brownfield or greenfield sites. A well-developed and successfully implemented CAMS meets operational needs, generally improves retention rates and provides for a trained workforce that is continually assessed as competent – and can be demonstrated as such to regulators – with strategies for ongoing training and development linked to career progression.

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Competency Training has developed and delivered customised training systems for a range of customers and projects including QGC, Arrow Energy, Origin Energy, Rio Tinto, Apache Energy, Esso and the Pluto LNG Project.

Competency Training courses can be delivered onsite or at the company’s training facilities located across Australia. The team strives to provide engaging, highly relevant courses which are delivered by expert trainers with years of in-field experience. With this experience and real-life application history, the company’s trainers are successful in engaging with course participants and provide safer, more productive operating environments.

The company’s industrial electrical training courses and products also include high-voltage switching, functional safety, PLC/SCADA and customised e-learning products.