VOCATIONAL, Industrial Skills Academy Company (ViSA) is focusing on taking its industrial safety training and skills development expertise throughout the region, just three years after it launched operations in Saudi Arabia.

The academy is positioning itself as industrial certification-based training partner that is well-resourced and operates according to recognised standards. For the lifting equipment sector, it provides operator and inspector training for a variety of lifting equipment including mobile, tower, overhead, and offshore cranes. It also provides rigger and signalman training and specific training safety training for hydrocarbon truck operators, and passenger-carrying-vehicle operators.

“We believe in sustaining partnership and hence offer our potential customers business solutions rather than merely training,” says Tariq Al Mansory, group business manager.

He says the academy offers effective training solutions provided by certified instructors and complemented with high-tech training resources, including simulators, virtual reality scenarios and online training. This is in addition to testing and certification services.

The training facility can accommodate and train more than 1,500 lifting equipment operators per year for all types of cranes.

All crane programmes cover the three steps to crane safety – machine condition, operational limitations and load limitations. The courses also provides exposure to various operating weather conditions, site hazards and restrictions, and covers load verification, built-in safety devices, proper communication between the work crew, and emergency response procedures. The programmes feature a combination of classroom instruction, simulator training, and hands-on use of real equipment in the training yard.

“To ensure safe and efficient operation of equipment, operators need to follow the basic principles in crane operation – reading of load charts, lifting planning procedures and preventive maintenance,” he says. “In addition, all lifting equipment should undergo periodic safety inspection and certification to ensure continued reliability. End-users like Saudi Aramco require that this be done by a third party.”

The Dhahran-based industrial skills development academy was established to serve Saudi Arabia’s industrial growth.

The academy’s curriculum and instructors are locally accredited by Saudi Technical Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) and internationally by globally-recognised North American certification bodies. ViSA is a provisional member of the UK-based Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA).

“We are now striving to have ViSA recognised regionally by the neighbouring states,” Al Mansory says.

“ViSA aims to become a prominent institute in industrial training. It is focused on training, qualifying and rehabilitating the local and regional workforce to smoothly replace foreign workers by meeting market demands and supporting the national economic growth,” he concludes.