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Capacity Building

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Capacity Building

Capacity building goes beyond the conventional notion of training. It refers to the establishment of sustainable mechanisms that allow a community or nation to empower itself through the development of its human capital. By developing its local human capital, the community or nation better prepares itself to face development challenges and resolve them in a responsible and sustainable manner.

Although capacity building strategies and contributions depend significantly on the specific context of each circumstance, Marathon is committed to fostering capacity building initiatives that will empower each host community, and subsequently its nation, as well.

In each situation, especially in non-OECD countries, Marathon assesses capacity building needs and develops a specialized strategy to meet those specific needs. Key objectives over time are to maximize opportunities for national employees, provide positions of increasing responsibility to nationals and minimize the number of expatriate employees.

Marathon has had success implementing its workforce integration philosophy in all of the countries where it has operations and has recently updated its model of integration with the input of an outside consultancy to ensure that the best processes are part of the integration plan. Additionally, Marathon has established institutional capacity building programs. These programs have included engagement of local, mid- to high-level government officials and industry leaders through professional workshops designed to target specific skills, such as key negotiation and business practices. Such participants contribute to increasing a society's overall institutional capacity, creating a more favorable business environment for all corporations. The Company has sponsored such efforts among communities within Native American Indian reservations and in Equatorial Guinea.

Marathon has implemented the following examples of capacity building training and development programs worldwide throughout its company-operated oil and gas developments:

National Workforce Integration: This program enables select employees to participate in short- and long-term overseas assignments, where they can gain exposure to other operating entities and accelerate their learning experience. In this way, they can improve business management skills more quickly than if they trained exclusively with Marathon in their host environment. Marathon has implemented this strategy of local workforce integration in Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Indonesia and Norway.
On-the-Job Training: Throughout their employment, Marathon employees receive regular training and performance assessments. Through this process, employees can be assigned mentors to aid them to become more efficient in their current jobs and prepare them for roles with additional responsibility. Human Resources staff, mentors, supervisors and employees work closely together to develop a custom-designed program for select employees that, upon completion, will have prepared them for more demanding roles.
Technical and Vocational Training: Particularly in the initial stages of an operation, Marathon often needs employees with specific skilled labor skills. In these cases, Marathon hires as many employees as necessary and provides them with the appropriate technical and vocational training. At the end of the project, Marathon retains the necessary number of employees to maintain the new facility or operation. However, those who do not receive an offer to continue with Marathon can then market themselves to other companies because they have acquired additional training and skills from their experience.
Safety Training: Marathon values safety as an integral part of its culture. In every context, Marathon expects that its employees prioritize safety as the prerequisite behind any action. Through a series of practices, the Company monitors its safety initiatives and progress. Marathon strives to ensure that employees understand their HES (Health, Environment, and Safety) responsibilities and that they are trained and competent to perform their assignments.