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A competent workforce is critical for conducting safe operations and preventing incidents. However, during an economic or industry downturn, there is a tendency to limit the focus on training and stifle the growth of competency programs to reduce costs. These reductions typically have a greater impact on support-role employees such as HSE. Yet, the role of advising and supporting the organization in critical HSE matters falls to the HSE employees. For an organization to remain focused during these challenging periods, it is absolutely essential for HSE professionals at all levels of experience to excel in HSE technical and behavioral aspects. These external organizational challenges as well as fast-paced innovations in the industry have increased the need to accelerate the development of employees. To keep up with these advances and challenges, competencies of HSE employees need to be accelerated as well. Therefore, innovative training strategies are needed to address cost reductions, excel professional development, and competencies of HSE employees. This paper describes the development and implementation of a virtual, customizable, and self-paced professional development strategy targeted for HSE employees. The program advances the proficiency of HSE employees by accelerating the development of HSE technical and behavioral competencies. It is designed to ‘excel the HSE professional', resulting in the HSE employee being competent, credible, and a critical business partner to the organization. Preliminary results of the program implementation are highly successful. In addition to successful analytics such as employee participation and a high pass rate, participant testimonials speak to the success and benefit of the program. Providing an engaging professional development strategy for HSE employees has benefits for the organization and the employee. Participating in the program enhances the HSE employee's motivation, sense of purpose, and dedication to the organization. In addition, the organization excels the competencies of the HSE function, making HSE employees stronger business partners to the organization. Competent HSE employees are credible, able to engage with the organization and provide pertinent HSE advice and support. A competent and driven HSE function that is established as a critical business partner in the organization is important at the best of times, but even more so during economic challenges when maintaining HSE focus is vital. |
