Struggle to attract young Emiratis to offshore careers

The Total Oil and Gas Academy has struggled to attract and retain local students since it launched a training scheme in 2008.

Fahad Al Jassimi, 19, who enrolled with the Total Oil and Gas Academy, credits the institution with helping him to turn his life around. “Here you can dream, you can have a future,” he said. Fatima Al Marzooqi / The NationalShow less

ABU DHABI // Not enough young Emiratis are training for careers in the offshore oil and gas industry, despite the offer of a monthly salary of up to Dh10,000 while they study.

The Total Oil and Gas Academy has struggled to attract and retain local students since it launched its two-and-a-half-year training scheme in 2008. The French company partnered with Adnoc (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) to take Emirati high-school drop-outs from the Vocational Education Development Centre (Vedc) and train them to be technicians on off-shore platforms in an attempt to Emiratise the industry.

But although they receive payments of Dh8,000 a month for the first year, about 25 per cent of the students drop out within the first 12 months. Even an increase to Dh10,000 for the final 18 months of the course, when the students work in rotation on oil and gas platforms, has not proven attractive enough.

Officials said many students are put off because the course is still not recognised by the Ministry of Education even though it guarantees them a job with one of several companies, including French-owned Total and Adnoc once they graduate.

“It’s one of the weaknesses of the academy and we’re still working on this,” said Jean-Marc Aldebert, academy manager.

In the last 18 months, students rotate three weeks at college, three weeks off shore and three weeks break. This time spent away from family could cause problems for some, said Joelle Olhats, a student counsellor.

“It’s a very engaging job and the family pressure can be hard. If, for example, the student is the eldest son, his presence is required a lot and there are responsibilities at home that don’t allow him to be away for three weeks.”

About 25 students aged 17 to 21 attend the course each year, with most coming from the Northern Emirates. That number, however, is “way below” targets needed to Emiratise the industry, said Mr Aldebert. He would like to see that number doubled.

Regardless of the pressures, the course offers Emirati students career opportunities they would otherwise not be afforded, said Ms Olhats.

“This gives them the opportunity to work and study at the same time, which they wouldn’t be able to necessarily do in their areas. It also means they don’t have to permanently leave their families as they stay with us during the week then return to their families at the weekends. They are still a very close-knit community, so this is a big factor for them.”

However, for the Emiratis currently studying at the college’s Abu Dhabi campus, the chance to train and choose from a wide selection of jobs in the oil and gas industry was too appealing to turn down.

Yaqoob Al Blooshi, 21, from Umm Al Quwain, started the course in September and says it has given him a future, ambition and a career.

Fahad Al Jassimi, 19, from Dubai, enrolled despite having school qualifications only up to year 9. He credits the academy with helping him to turn his life around.

“Here you can dream, you can have a future,” he said, adding that he is now settled and committed to his education and career, particularly because he is now a married man with his first child due in September.

“Being here has changed me,” said Ibrahim Al Raeesi, 21, from Sharjah, who also started in September. “I have a goal now. Before, I had no goals, only going to school and sleeping.”

* This story has been amended since it was first published.