In November 2020 IMS got a call from Afiya Akram asking about the possibilities of getting some industry experience through NAV’s work training program. Afiya graduated from the University of Stavanger in 2018 with a master’s degree in Petroleum Engineering. The effects of the 2015 oil crisis and the new CoVid-19 pandemic meant that entry level jobs were hard to come by, and she had applied for over 100 jobs but did not get any because of lack of experience from the industry.
“You don’t get a job because you don’t have experience, and you can’t get experience if you don’t get a job, it’s a vicious cycle” she says.
Afiya Akram, Thomas Sande Sætre and Pierina Fonseca at Stavanger Oilers hockey match.
IMS thought this could be a win/win situation where Afiya could get experience and IMS could get another person in to help with our projects. The details were agreed, and on the 1st of December 2020 Afiya started as an R&D engineer within IMS.
Throughout her time in IMS, Afiya was introduced to many aspects of the oil industry, with a focus on mud measurements and rheology but also in document control and quality systems, Hazid, Hazop and risk assessments as well as the practical aspect of constructing and performing tests at IMS’ Technology Centre at our facilities in Stavanger.
Afiya has been at IMS for more than a year and although we are sad to see her leave IMS, we are thrilled to know that she is leaving to start working as an onshore fluids engineer for a major service company here in the Stavanger area.
IMS believes every company should contribute to work training if they have sufficient resources available. This work training program allows companies to assess the skills of candidates at low cost and risk and provides an opportunity to people who are struggling to get employed through lack of experience, ethnic background or gender that could help them get permanent employment in the future.
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