Overview
Petrofac, a leading energy services company which designs, builds, and operates world-class energy facilities, started using the OPITO Skills Screening tool in 2020 to combat challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Challenge
Prior to 2020, Petrofac used an alternative knowledge test system, whereby candidates were only able to sit the online assessment in person at Petrofac offices. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, there was no functionality within this system that would give individuals the ability to access the testing site remotely.
This prevented Petrofac from gaining important information on the knowledge its employees had of specific disciplines, and therefore prevented the company from identifying prominent skills gaps or a need for additional training which in the long-term may have create an uncertain view of the strength of key competencies, particularly those which are safety critical.
Result
The OPITO skills screening tool, a web-based application that uses an assessment process to measure the skills of individuals across a range of disciplines, was initially selected to enable knowledge tests to be carried out remotely. This allowed Petrofac to continue to analyse the capabilities and performance of current and potential employees throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Benefit
Since implementing, the tool has been used by hundreds of Petrofac employees to establish their skill level in specific disciplines.
The OPITO Skills Screening portal allows tests to be set up quickly and easily and gives the user the ability to manage the assessment process in full. Going forward, the tool will continue to provide greater flexibility as it is designed to allow users to complete tests on a range of devices, from any location, sending a test outcome report immediately upon completion to those who require the information.
Switching to the Skills Screening tool has also brought with it a great level of support from OPITO staff, who have provided advice and assistance during the initial tool set up and throughout Petrofac’s use of the tool.