The Oil Search Academy

As operator of oil and gas fields in Papua New Guinea and exploration activities in the Middle East and North Africa, Oil Search recognises that developing the skills and capabilities of its people is of vital importance. To proactively manage its employees’ development needs, the Company formed 'The Oil Search Academy' in August 2004.

The Oil Search Academy is a centre of excellence for learning and development to which employees at all levels and locations are guaranteed access. The Academy delivers the highest quality education and training which is aimed to facilitate Oil Search being a leader in the oil and gas industry.

The opportunities provided by The Academy ensure Oil Search offers an exciting and rewarding work environment where employees are ready to meet the challenges of the future.

Programs

Oil Search takes a ‘holistic’ view of the individual and believes that learning and development must simultaneously comprise both technical and non-technical skills for a person to be successful. All employee development programs follow the ‘Employee Life-Cycle’ – that is, orientation to the Oil Search culture, achievement of required competency standards and maintenance of competency.

To achieve this end, core Oil Search programs include:

• Orientation
• Access to Higher Education
• Oil Search Graduate Development Program
• Succession Planning
• Vocational Development

Orientation

To support the Oil Search culture, all new employees attend the Oil Search Orientation program. Conducted over 12 months, the program informs people about Oil Search’s business through meetings with key personnel, training and briefings. There is particular emphasis in the program on the Company’s approach to health, safety and the environment.

Access to Higher Education

Oil Search provides various forms of support to employees who need to go to higher educational institutions such as colleges and universities. The approved student scheme provides resources and financial support whilst Oil Search’sassociation with Unitech in PNG allows the Company to act as a College Of Distance Education. This gives individuals the education they require to prepare them for apprenticeships and other vocational training schemes.

Oil Search Graduate Development

The primary purpose of the Graduate Development Program is to identify and develop a pool of high potential graduates that will provide Oil Search with highly trained and qualified professionals and potential future leaders. The program has the following aims:

• To partner with colleges/universities to identify high potential graduates
• Introduce new graduates to the Oil Search culture and prepare them as potential professional employees
• Assist graduates to develop within their respective disciplines for possible job opportunities
• Expose graduates to other related job disciplines to gain a wider range of experience
• Provide project assignments to equip graduates with job skills and techniques
• Expose graduates to appropriate human resource skills via formal supervisory and management in-house training for eventual possible management/supervisory roles
• Assist graduates to develop to their full potential through development planning and mentoring.

Succession Planning

People, as well as capital deployment have been identified as a key driver of the Company’s future success. As a result, talent management (identification, placement, development and retention) is a strategic lever for Oil Search in creating value and achieving competitive advantage.

Key aspects of the Company’s approach to succession planning are:

• Active movement of talent into development and high impact roles
• Provision of development opportunities tailored for each individual’s situation, performance level and potential
• Rigorous talent identification processes to reduce subjectivity and validate decisions

Vocational Development

Oil Search offers its people a range of development options to support them in their current and future careers. For example, to best meet its needs in its Papua New Guinean operations, Oil Search is recognised nationally as a provider of apprentice qualifications. The Company’s core strategy is to continually develop its portfolio of vocational offerings that provide Oil Search employees with a range of externally recognised qualifications. Many of these are supported through best practice delivery strategies such as online learning.

To stay at the forefront of our peers, Oil Search also endeavours to develop relationships with key external bodies. In Papua New Guinea, Company representatives are sitting members on the National Apprenticeship and Trade Testing Board.