To improve the level of professional training of oil and gas specialists, at the initiative of the Naftogaz Group, we have started updating the requirements for key production professions so that they meet the modern needs of the industry. Such requirements will be set out in professional standards, which will be used by both specialised educational institutions and other companies in the industry. 

The development of professional standards takes place is performed within the framework of the memorandum of cooperation concluded between Naftogaz Group and the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, six specialised universities, and the MASMA Research Centre of the State Fuel Company. 

On November 14, an application for the development of a professional standard for the new integrated profession "Drilling Specialist" was included in the Register of Qualifications of the National Qualifications Agency. This is one of the first professional standards that the Company started working on. 

The document will reflect all modern requirements for professional qualifications of drilling specialists and will be used by higher education institutions to update the relevant educational standards of the industry, which will allow training industry specialists who can work with modern technologies and equipment. Ukrgasvydobuvannya specialists have already started analysing and consolidating information on modern professional requirements for drilling specialists, based on the Company's experience, analysis of the international market, and the results of cooperation with specialised educational institutions. 

"Ukrgasvydobuvannya has profound experience in drilling and has been actively developing this direction over the past 5 years. We have purchased state-of-the-art drilling rigs that have allowed minimising the physical labour of our personnel and thereby increasing the level of occupational safety. The use of new equipment requires updating knowledge and functional responsibilities. Over 300 employees of the Company received up-to-date practical and theoretical knowledge on drilling within the framework of the Drilling School program launched by us. We have overcome the path of updating internal standards and decided to go further: together with the market, we are starting to work on improving the level of Ukrainian vocational education," Maryna Petrenko, HR Director of Ukrgasvydobuvannya, said.  

The professional standard "Drilling Specialist" will apply to professional qualifications including: 

• - Drilling engineer; 
• - Drilling technician; 
• - Drilling rig operator; 
• - Driller of production and exploration drilling of oil and gas wells. 

Ukrgasvydobuvannya includes the largest drilling division in Ukraine – Ukrburgaz, which has over 4,000 employees. In 2019, Ukrburgaz's drilling fleet was strengthened with 20 modern drilling rigs.  

For reference 

The professional standard is the requirements for the competencies of employees approved under the established procedure, which serve as the basis for the formation of professional qualifications. 

The professional standard meets the needs of employers, considering the experience and expertise of the most influential enterprises in the industry. It is developed to standardise labour functions and describe the knowledge, skills, and abilities of employees that will become the basis of educational programs.  

You can get acquainted with the placement of Ukrgasvydobuvannya's application at: https://data.nqa.gov.ua/zaavki-profstandarts/