WOMA, traditionally a high-pressure water technology company, has registered its own training organisation called iCERT - the Industrial Centre for Environmental and Resource Training - through the Australian Skills Quality Authority in Canberra.

 

Managing director Ian Blevin told Energy News that the retraction in the training market due to the resource sector slowdown and the LNG megaprojects moving from construction into operations and maintenance meant new opportunities had opened up.

 

WOMA has written and accredited courses, enabling it to equip participants from companies as diverse as Chevron Corporation, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton as contractors with a ticket of competence in specific fields.

 

The company had been conducting training since 2008 at its old base at Bibra Lake, which it outgrew before moving to the heart of Western Australia's marine, oil and gas heavy industry at Henderson.

 

However iCERT, which is expected to kick off within a fortnight, will take its plans to a whole new level.

 

"Previously we provided training on our product as part of manufacturers' risk mitigation and responsibility, and to help our clients achieve improved productivity from a safety and environmental perspective," Blevin said.

 

"We were a partner with another registered training organisation, that clearly was not to our benefit for reasons of IP and handing over courses we'd written and delivered. 

 

"This new business will facilitate our sales, rental and our clients' ability to implement our product in the market.

 

"It will provide training in a number of skill sets specific to our specialised areas of operation, so we don't have to compete with other organisations that do forklift training, confined space, scaffolding or crane work, as that's general construction training."

 

The training will focus on the safe use and application of ultra-high-pressure water equipment; vacuum collection, encapsulation and drain cleaning equipment; non-destructive digging and hydro-excavation equipment ; and explosive environments and machinery in hazardous zones.