The contract with the Ministry of Oil and Baghdad Oil Training Institute (BOTI) will see Atlas Knowledge deliver a total of 35 courses at 16 technical colleges across the country as part of a project sanctioned by the Ministry of Oil’s Department of Training and eLearning.

The win comes just weeks after Atlas Knowledge announced it had secured another major contract to deliver safety critical training to the UK offshore workforce. The move brings the number of countries around the world that Atlas courses are accessed in to 92.

Situated in the Al Wazriah district of Baghdad, BOTI is the biggest facility of its kind in Iraq and is considered one of the largest Arab oil institutes in the world. It is the first partnership between the two organisations and will see around a potential 350,000 people access Atlas Knowledge’s eLearning courses.

"This is a region where Atlas is experienced in delivering learning programmes for the oil and gas industry through the roll out of global initiatives such as International Minimum Industry Training, known as IMIST. It is, however, the first time we have partnered with the Ministry of Oil to deliver such a large-scale project," said Robert Morgan, Atlas Knowledge’s chairman.

"Iraq has opened its doors to international investors in recent years in order to expand its infrastructure and meet its ambitious oil and gas targets. The significant rise in exploration and production activity is matched by the massive expansion in skills and labour development.

"There is a serious desire within the government and the Ministry of Oil to invest in its manpower through the use of innovative technology and world-leading best-practice standards. This will ensure the workforce has the skills, knowledge, and competence to capitalise on the wealth of opportunities within the region. BOTI has been in the forefront of deploying best-in-class technologies that enhance the skills of the Iraqi workforce."

The deal will see Atlas Knowledge deliver courses, including safety and technical subjects in oil and gas, targeted towards new entrants; it offers the current workforce an opportunity to upskill. Overall, the programme aims to enhance and segment the skills of both new recruits entering the industry and makes the training available to employees of national oil companies in Iraq.

"Deploying technology to deliver training is a powerful tool in expanding the skills, efficiency, influence, and motivation of employees within exploration and production companies, and we are pleased to have been selected to support the Iraqi government on this exciting project," added Mr Morgan.

Salah Zaini, project manager for Training and eLearning at Ministry of Oil, said, "We are pleased to roll out this eLearning initiative with Atlas Knowledge. It is a novel project and one of its kind. The long-term goal of the project is to contribute to the skill-pool development in Iraq within the oil and gas industry, which is a vital engine for Iraqi economy."

Ehsan Reza Mirza Ahmad Sharif, director of BOTI, said, "We continue to strive to support the goals of the government of Iraq and the Ministry of Oil towards augmentation of skill-pool development and creating a sustainable workforce-development model. BOTI has state-of-the-art facilities for training, and eLearning is an addition to our commitment towards learning and development."