Setting professionals up for success: Assuring a competent workforce to the onshore industry

29 March 2017

Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM) is an exploration and production company based in Assen in the Netherlands. NAM’s core business is to explore, extract and produce oil and gas within the Dutch territory. NAM supplies 75% of the natural gas required by Dutch households and businesses.

The company is partly owned by the British-Dutch multinational corporation, Shell. Maintenance & Operations team leader for NUI, Joris Eelman, has worked at the corporation since 1996. “I’ve always had an interest in mechanical engineering. After university, I joined Shell as an Operations Graduate and over the years I have used my technical skills to move into management roles.” Joris has worked in a variety of roles in Shell, including the Operations team leader for the Groningen Gas Field, the largest natural gas field in Europe.

A strong focus on competency

As contract holder, it’s Joris’ responsibility to observe the workmanship of the crew. “One of the issues we discuss on a regular basis is competence. When I started working with Atlas back in 2009, it was good to see how they also had a strong focus in ensuring their clients receive a competent workforce. Together with Business Manager Jochen Scholten, we realised that the best ways to ensure competency is to test the crew and see how they work together as a team. We cross analyse their skills and observe how they complete tasks and communicate with others. I don’t miss working offshore myself as my current role is a combination of business skills and technical work. My heart lies with the technical challenges you face in the industry.”

“A beautiful industry to work in”

Joris has been working with Atlas’ Production & Maintenance team in Hoofddorp. “What I like about working with Atlas Professionals is their openness, they are always willing to support us and find new ways to integrate our services. We learn from each other and our collaboration ensures that all operations are carried out to the highest standard. I’ve established a trusted dialogue with Atlas.

This is a beautiful industry to work in,” says Joris. “The standards of safety, industry and technology implemented in these projects is unique. Although the current market is forcing companies to have difficult conversations, I think there are still opportunities out there, particularly in the offshore industry. This is why assuring competency is so important in times like these, we want to set people up for success and break down any barriers that may hold them back.” 

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