Graduate Engineers Gain Field Experience
T.D. Williamson (TDW) announced that the second class of new engineering recruits has been inducted into the company’s Engineering Development Program (EDP). The program offers a broad range of training and development opportunities for new employees who are hired to work in engineering roles. TDW launched the program in 2009, offering nine engineers the opportunity to participate in the two-year program. They now work in a variety of roles across the company’s range of pipeline services in the United States, Belgium, and Norway.
The participants receive an in-depth introduction to TDW history, culture, and core values, and then rotate through a variety of disciplines, including sustainable engineering, operational engineering, and research and development.Depending on the individual’s career track, each participant also receives in-depth training in the company’s special services that range from hot tapping and STOPPLE® Train pipeline interventions to inline inspection, SmartPlug®pipeline pressure isolation services, and Emergency Pipeline Repair System development. To achieve this, they spend time in the classroom, as well as on the workshop floor and in the field.
The nine members of the second class completed an eight-week orientation program at the TDW global headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They are now progressing through the next phase of the 24-month intensive technical development program. Some began their training in offshore services, while others are receiving their first hands-on experience in hot tapping and plugging services, and inline inspection.
Training around the world
As they advance through the program, each engineer trainee is required to work offshore alongside experienced crewmembers. “With pipeline pressure isolation operations being carried out to facilitate safe repair of pipeline networks globally, they could receive their offshore training assignment here in the North Sea or The Netherlands,” said Gordon Blair, UK & Netherlands Sales Manager for TDW Offshore Services in Aberdeen. “They could just as easily find themselves on a helicopter traveling to work offshore Malaysia or Australia – even the Gulf of Mexico,” he added.
From a training perspective, it’s multi-faceted, offering participants the opportunity to develop a solid foundation in the range of services and an appreciation of the global reach of the company’s activities. “They receive practical, hands-on training in all relevant products and services, including pipeline pressure isolation services that make it possible to repair and maintain pipelines without going to the time and expense of bleeding down the line,” said Bixi Kruse, HR Business Partner for TDW Offshore Services in Stavanger, Norway. “The program makes it possible to focus on what’s important: to train new employees so that we continue to provide safe, efficient, and cost-effective services to our customers. At the same time, we are preparing these engineers for a rich and productive career with TDW,” she added.
Currently, a contingent of the second EDP class is receiving training in offshore services at the TDW Center of Excellence for offshore in Stavanger. The company supports pipeline pressure isolation operations in the UKCS and Norwegian North Sea, and around the world. Elsewhere, other EDP participants are receiving training in Brazil and North America.
About TDW Offshore Services
TDW Offshore Services provides customers with the products and services they need to construct and maintain pipelines. The company’s world-class engineering capability has resulted in numerous innovative products and services. The SmartPlug® tool from TDW Offshore Services is one of the world’s leading pipeline pressure isolation technologies.
The company is a subsidiary of T.D. Williamson, Inc., a world leader in pipeline equipment and services. The company delivers a comprehensive portfolio of safe integrity pipeline system solutions for onshore and offshore applications, including hot tapping and plugging, pipeline cleaning, integrity inspection, pigging and non-tethered plugging pig technology for any pressurized piping system, anywhere in the world.