PBS creating a safer, measurably competent and mobile workforce through Connected Competence

PBS Offshore, represented by Ponticelli UK and Semco Maritime, has been involved in Connected Competence from the beginning, leading the charge to create a safer and transferable workforce to support the energy transition.

 

Alan said: “With our industry cohorts, we developed Connected Competence to better support our offshore contingent in becoming safer, measurably technically competent and equipped with industry-wide transferable skills.”

 

Alan joined PBS as Training and Competence Manager in January 2023, and while protocols and testing facilities were already in place, widespread testing of personnel had not yet been rolled out due to the restrictions brought about by Covid.  Alan explained: “As soon as we were able to do so, we prioritised getting our teams through their technical tests.”

 

PBS workers gained all tests for their trade profile

Rather than taking a selective approach to technical testing within each discipline, PBS ensured their workers completed all available tests associated with their respective trade profile.

Alan explained the rationale behind this: “We wanted to give our workers the most comprehensive complement of trade test badges to reduce duplication of testing in the future.

 

“By completing all technical tests for their trade, future employers and sites can evidence a worker’s full suite of base technical competence, and they can be more quickly deployed on site to undertake a broader range of work scopes.

“Our commitment to this approach aligns with our core values, promoting safety above all else, and allows our workforce to fully showcase their own technical skills. It helps to eliminate unnecessary training and supports multi-skilling.

“But getting 300 workers tested in such a tight timescale and around operational schedules and annual leave was ambitious.”

 

Allaying worker concerns

“There were some initial concerns and queries raised by workers. This included nervousness about sitting tests, having their level of experience and understanding ‘challenged’ after so many years offshore, what would happen if they failed and how this might impact on their existing plans or arrangements.

“Positive, open and honest communication was key.  We provided reassurance to workers and offered an immediate resit if they did not pass on their first attempt.

“We engaged directly with our workforce using a multi-media approach, explaining the rationale behind Connected Competence, and circulated ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ to allay their concerns.”

 

Test provider flexibility was key

“We also worked closely with test providers to co-ordinate the attendance of candidates based on their availability, trying to align with existing mobilisation and de-mobilisation dates or pre-booked training that was already scheduled in the immediate area.

“We made every effort to minimise disruption to workers’ field breaks.

“The professionalism and flexibility of the test providers were key factors in achieving this ambitious target, along with the dedication of the PBS Training and Competence Department and the co-operation of our workers.

“I was delighted to see that only 3.8% of tests had to be retaken. We are justifiably proud of our workforce and the levels of competence they have demonstrated. It provides clear evidence to our existing and potential clients of the proficiency of our workforce.”

 

Reassurance to workers

“Workers also have that reassurance that everyone around them has undergone an assessment against a consistent, current and safe standard.

“Introducing any new initiative can be challenging, especially when it is to such an ambitious and challenging timescale but that’s an environment in which PBS thrives.”

 

 

 

Alasdair MacNeil, Managing Director at AFS Technologies, said: “This achievement was only possible through the excellent communication and collaboration between PBS, AFS, and the ECITB.

“Delivering such a high volume of tests in such a tight timeframe required a multi-disciplined team of technical examiners working in complete alignment.

“Our examiners approached every session with empathy and understanding, taking time to listen to the workforce, address their concerns, and allay any fears about the process.

“Almost all workers left agreeing that the testing process was a positive experience, which is a testament to the professionalism of everyone involved and the value of Connected Competence.”

 

PBS workers with Connected Competence benefit from wind cross-skill programme

With a significant volume of Connected Competence compliant employees, PBS was an ideal resource from which ECITB could mobilise participants for its recently developed Wind Turbine Technician cross-skill pilot.

Developed in partnership with Global Wind Organisation (GWO) and the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, supporting two-way deployments across oil & gas and wind infrastructure, the first cohort of 15 learners, included current PBS employees.

The cross-skill pilot recognises prior learning and ongoing competence of qualified oil & gas technicians, providing them with a task-based programme of technical activity across electrical, mechanical and instrument pathways as well as wind-specific GWO training and on-site turbine familiarisation.

Allowing time-served technicians to draw on years of experience while building on their existing skillsets, presents a crucial pathway to transition from oil & gas into the renewable energy sector.

With a wealth of experience throughout the industry, ‘recycling’ it to meet the needs of our greener future is – in and of itself – a sustainable choice.

Pre-requisites to the programme included assurance of ongoing technical competence aligned to a workers’ primary technician trade through the Connected Competence scheme. This base standard is recognised in the Energy Skills Passport and will help provide a clear pathway for re-skilling when the passport is further developed.

 

PBS finalist in multiple awards

PBS is extremely proud of its efforts to further ensure standards of technical skills and behavioural safety across all sectors, confident that these will heighten safety, extend workforce mobility and bolster the resilience of the industry as a whole.

PBS was a finalist in the cHeRries Awards Learning & Development of the Year category in 2024 and again in 2025, and winner in the Workforce Engagement category of this year’s Offshore Safety Awards.

Alan explained: “Connected Competence is integral to our approach to learning and development, so is woven into our submissions for these prestigious awards.”

 

Industry support for Connected Competence

To date, 30 operators and contractors have joined the Connected Competence framework, allowing verification of the workforce’s ongoing technical competence for site-based trades.

Connected Competence is industry-led, enabled by the ECITB, and supported by Operators, Employers, including Aker Solutions, Bilfinger, Petrofac, Stork, Wood & Worley, the HSE, OEUK, NSTA, Step Change in Safety, Scottish Government, RMT, GMT and Unite the Union.