Develop Training has taken its expertise overseas to support Israel’s biggest gas provider, PazGas, as the country switches to natural gas.
PazGas is already the largest provider of LPG certification within Israel, and have a well established specialist training division to provide gas engineers with the knowledge they need.
The challenge
Israel has traditionally used LPG as its main source of gas for domestic and industrial use; however, the discovery of the Tamar and Leviathan natural gas fields in 2009/10 has kick-started a nationwide move to take advantage of the resource.
In order to make this possible, Israel’s gas technician must become certified in natural gas, a considerable task for a country unused to the specific requirements of working with this method. Bringing the company up-to-speed with natural gas was deemed to be a vital part of Israeli gas strategy by the authorities.
In the interest of quality and safety, the Israeli government stipulated to PazGas that such certification must be internationally sourced, prompting PazGas to find a reputable training provider.
The solution
The training programme required Develop Training specialists to visit Israel to ‘train the trainers,’ so that PazGas could add natural gas to its well-known training division. Develop Training was recommended to PazGas by Jim Buswell, a UK-based expert in gas.
“After a successful meeting, we recognised that Develop Training had exactly the credentials and expertise required for the project.” Tzvika Pomerantz, Training & Development Manager at PazGas.
Jim Donnelly, Gas Delivery Manager at Develop Training, managed the ambitious project, which involved trainers flying to Israel to pass on knowledge to PazGas’ own trainers. Develop has successfully trained 22 individuals, who were the first in Israel to be accredited in natural gas to the required standard.
The results
Following the training PazGas has already started to deliver its own training programme to create a new generation of natural gas operatives across the country, giving the company a significant advantage in terms of meeting Israel’s changing energy needs as the leading expert in natural gas training.
Develop Training has provided extensive training materials to assist PazGas with this process.
“Around 80% of the material we use originated with Develop Training, which we have then amended to make bespoke to our specific requirements,” explains Tzvika Pomerantz, Training & Development Manager at PazGas.
Tzvika goes on to say: “We are extremely satisfied – as are the Israeli authorities – with the quality and effectiveness of the courses provided by Develop Training,” he adds. “They have provided us with the tools to help oversee this vital transition in Israel’s infrastructure, and the speed and service at which they implemented our training programme has helped us become the first provider to offer fully accredited courses to Israel’s gas technicians.”
