Country: Thailand
Client: Caltex – Star Petroleum Refinery
Location: Rayong, Thailand
Project: Delivering English for Specific Purposes and Total Quality Management (TQM) to 360 newly-hired Thai nationals.
Services Provided: Enhanced language proficiency, English for Specific Purposes, and proprietary equipment and procedures for Caltex and Total Quality Management within the corporate culture of Star Petroleum.
Introduction
The International Center for Accelerative Learning (ICAL) was chosen for its innovative Accelerative Learning system that guaranteed the timely preparation of all non-English speaking engineers to assume control of the refinery within an 18-month period required by the Thai government.
Scope of Work
- ICAL conducted an assessment of 360 employees and customized a program to integrate the proprietary nature of the Caltex refinery technical English.
- ICAL was put in charge of five on-site classrooms designed to accommodate the delivery of instruction to 360 Thai nationals. The goal was to enable these new hires to successfully complete four specialized levels of English for Specific Purposes proficiency in 12 weeks.
- Having successfully completed the four levels, the students were able to think critically, work in teams, develop and give presentations, conduct research, integrate technical equipment and processes, conduct comparative analysis, and Total Quality Management which are part of the corporate culture inside Caltex and Star Petroleum.
- The trainees were able to complete and pass refinery training for all positions in less time and displayed greater performance on the job. Productivity in the refinery was 7% higher than projected.
- They also passed refinery scenarios and IEA technical training courses.
- The pass rate on this program was 92%, thus exceeding the contract guaranteed pass rate of 85%.
- Finally, the program participants increased their problem-solving skills in English communication and reduced accidents rates. . As a result, the refinery opened ON time, thus avoiding government penalties and increasing engineer retention. Moreover, it achieved level 4 ROI (Return on Investment) of 139% in the first year of operations.