KBR Helps Develop Training Academy to Upskill Iraqi Workforce

As a global business delivering expertise across the energy sector, it's worth remembering that our work goes beyond the companies we work for, to serve the wider community. One excellent example of this is our involvement in a new Engineering & Leadership Training Academy for the Rumaila Operating Organization (ROO). As well as securing the future of the oil field, this academy also plays a key role in developing local talent, which contributes to the long-term prosperity of Iraq and its people.

The Rumaila oil field, which is partly managed by ROO as part of a joint venture, is the third most productive in the world with a current capacity of 1.5 million barrels per day. As well as its significance to the global energy picture, Rumaila is also key to the development of Iraq, accounting for over 30% of the country's GDP. ROO employs around 7,000 Iraqis, with 94% of its workforce being Iraqi nationals.

Over the last decade, ROO's Rumaila Education Fund has invested over $15m on upskilling Iraqi nationals with one aim being to increase the number of indigenous people in engineering and leadership roles. This work has been highly successful but has often involved institutions overseas. Now, ROO is offering more high-quality training to more of its people, by launching its in-house Engineering & Leadership Training Academy, with KBR's expertise driving the development of courses in three key areas: core skills, leadership, and technical skills.

The academy is hosted at KBR's Iraq Energy City offices, and our wide experience in industry-specific training, enabled us to develop most of the learning modules which form its curriculum.

Our perspective on the cutting edge of digital engineering was instrumental in our being chosen to work on this project, and this is a theme which runs through the academy's programs with a strong emphasis on emerging tech. As well as a new breed of digital savvy engineers, ROO is determined to bring through the next generation of leaders from the local population, so we have developed a world-class leadership training program accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM).

Blending academic learning with practical application in the field, the ROO Engineering & Leadership Training Academy trains new employees and upskills more experienced people too. With hundreds of employees already enrolled, it stands to bestow both the organization and the local community with a brighter future.