Category: Business
Solving the skills shortage
Published in OE Magazine, December 2012
For years the oil & gas industry has faced a looming skills shortage: older, more experienced personnel are leaving the business while an influx of new blood with limited experience is coming onboard. Finding solutions for this skill shortage was on the minds of attendees at the Galveston forum. Audrey Leon reports.
Charlie Williams, executive director of the Center for Offshore Safety (COS), acknowledges that the skills gap is an industry-wide problem; however, he doesn’t believe the situation is dire.
‘We’ve been talking about an age gap for 10 years,’ Williams says. ‘The fact is, a lot of people have stayed a long time in the industry and people are staying longer and longer.’
Williams spent 40 years at Shell, most recently as chief scientist for the company’s well engineering and production technology division, before moving into his new role with COS in March. The organization, created in the aftermath of the Macondo disaster and supported by API, has focused on a number of safety-based initiatives regarding well control and completions as well as third party auditing.
Williams sees COS as an industry resource that can help bridge the skills gap through programs such as its contractor competency assurance plan, which measures and monitors
contractors’ training and mentoring systems. Learnings from this program will serve as a template that can be applied to other parts of the industry, not just contractors, Williams says. He sees the transition from an older to younger workforce as a gradual shift with older workers opting to stay on as consultants.
The industry is ‘not going to fall off a cliff like people thought,’ he says. ‘We’ve been good at recruiting people.’
However, Williams notes that some workers right out of college lack the necessary math and science skills and technical degrees to do the work. Companies are finding they must go to high school age and even younger to draw young people into those fields. ExxonMobil, for instance, sponsors a series of programs aimed at middle-school aged children, such as ‘Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day’ where company employees can serve as on-site mentors.
A renewed focus on mentoring and training will help solve this problem, Williams says. Some companies are hiring professional mentors or competency coaches who can observe workers and decide whether a trainee would benefit from running the module again, Williams notes. More could do this internally, he says, but there is a difficulty in finding coaches and mentors. Williams believes the competency assurance program that COS is running can have a positive impact.
With the looming skills shortage and a serious need to reduce human error in the field, many presenters are addressing the topic of automation with a renewed interest (see lead
Analysis). The oil & gas industry, Williams says, should take advantage of automation and instrumentation to present information more effectively.
‘It’s gotten so complex that helping humans make better decisions, helping humans understand the information that is available and get better information is a challenge,’ Williams says.
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Black Elk fire victim dies
Originally published at OEdigital.com on November 26, 2012.
A second worker has died of injuries sustained after a fire broke out on Black Elk Energy’s production platform in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. announced on 23 November 2012.
Baton Rouge General Hospital said 49-year-old Avelino Tajonera passed away due to complications from major burn injuries. Tajonera was one of four Filipino workers employed by Grand Isle Shipyard who had been hospitalized following the 16 November blaze on Black Elk’s production platform 18 miles offshore Grand Isle, Louisiana, in shallow water block West Delta 32.
Three workers remain hospitalized at Baton Rouge General; two are listed in critical condition and one, identified as Wilberto Ilagan, remains in serious but stable condition. Ilagan received burns on over 35% of his body.
Tajonera, of Dinalupihan, Bataan, is the fire’s second victim. The body of Elroy Corporal, 42, was recovered near the accident site on 17 November. A third worker, 28-year-old Jerome Malagapo, has not been found.
On Wednesday, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement issued a strong rebuke of Black Elk Energy’s safety record. BSEE said the Houston-based company has until 15 December to submit a performance improvement plan detailing the steps it will take to comply with federal regulations. If the company fails to do so, Black Elk stands to lose its ability to operate in the Gulf of Mexico.
‘Black Elk has repeatedly failed to operate in a manner that is consistent with federal regulations,’ said BSEE Director James A. Watson. ‘BSEE has taken a number of enforcement actions, including issuing numerous Incidents of Non Compliance (INC’s), levying civil penalties and calling in the company’s senior leadership to review their performance and the ramifications of failing to improve.
‘This is an appropriate and necessary step as we continue to investigate the explosion and fire that resulted in the tragic loss of life and injuries last week,’ Watson said.
Black Elk Energy spokeswoman Leslie Hoffman said the company appreciates BSEE’s perspective.
‘Safety is a high priority for Black Elk Energy and we will continue to work cooperatively with local and federal agencies to understand exactly what happened with the incident at our platform in the Gulf of Mexico,’ Hoffman said.
Black Elk’s platform was undergoing maintenance at the time of the fire and was not in production.
Nigerian relief well underway
Drilling has begun on an offshore Nigeria relief well that will enable Chevron to seal the troubled Funiwa 1A natural gas well and stop its associated fire, the company announced on 17 February 2012.
Chevron Nigeria previously announced that it would use the Transocean Baltic rig, on loan from ExxonMobil, for the drilling program. Once the well is complete, Chevron will commence cementing and abandonment of Funiwa 1A, the company said in a release.
Chevron spokesman Lloyd Avram said the company has no time estimate for completion at this point. Avram also expressed the company’s confidence that local communities face no risk from the still-burning fire at Funiwa 1A.
“The fire at the incident site is substantially smaller,” Avram said in a statement to OilOnline.com. “All independent air testing results onshore and offshore show no detectable levels of pollutants. No oil was spilled or flowed from the well.”
On 3 February, Chevron spokesman Sean Comey said in a statement to OilOnline.com on that Chevron Nigeria Ltd. (CNL) had deteremined only one relief well would be necessary at the site.
‘[CNL] has assessed the conditions and drilling plans with a third party well control firm and has concluded that deploying a single rig to drill the relief well allows us to focus our efforts, providing the quickest and safest way to put out the fire and permanently seal the well in an effective and expedient manner.’
Fire broke out at Funiwa 1A on January 16 2012 during the K.S. Endeavor jack-up rig’s drilling operations. The fire killed two workers and destroyed the rig and an associated barge, Hercules’ Mako. 152 workers had to be evacuated.
The well had been drilled to a depth of 12,945ft at the time of the blaze. The well is six miles offshore in water depths of approximately 40ft.
Funiwa field is located in Nigeria’s oil mining lease 86. Chevron operates the lease with 40% interest on behalf of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corp., which holds 60%.
Livin’ La Vida Language
Originally published by Today’s Chicago Woman magazine on January 1, 2011.
Multilingual professionals are highly prized, so why not be one?
While English may be the most commonly used language in the global business world, not everyone prefers to speak it. For this reason, bilingual or multilingual speakers are highly coveted by employers. Luis Larrea, a DePaul University professor who specializes in international business and marketing, believes the benefits of being a multilingual professional are endless. “The more you know about the country (language and culture), the better position you’re in to do business,” he says. “It’s all about relationships.” Several foreign language academies around town offer a variety of classes for professionals with busy schedules.
By Audrey Leon
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Multilingual Chicago
2934 North Milwaukee Avenue, Suite C, 773.292.7676
Nestled between numerous banks and furniture stores, on a bustling stretch of North Milwaukee Avenue sits the foreign language academy Multilingual Chicago. The center grew out of owner and linguistic anthropologist Jill Bishop’s primary company, Workforce Language Services, which provides language training and translation services for many businesses such as Orbitz and Lou Malnati’s. Mrs. Bishop turned her attention to providing language-learning classes to both adults and children in her Logan Square offices. Multilingual Chicago – only 11 months old and still expanding – offers the traditional weekly class in Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, and more. A two-hour, eight-week class starts at $299.
For those with less time to devote to studies, Multilingual Chicago also offers a seven-hour boot camp ($150) on Sundays to quickly expose students to a language through vocabulary and practical applications; students will visit neighboring restaurants in the area during lunch break.
In addition to classes, Multilingual Chicago cooks up fun cultural events for the center’s students and casual observers. “Culture is a very important part of language,” Mrs. Bishop says. “In order to ensure that we’re exposing our students not just to verb conjugations but the real world, we try to include culture at every step.” Attend one of Multilingual Chicago’s cooking demonstration at Real Tenochtitlan (pictured above) to practice your newfound skills with other students.
If you find that you learn better privately rather than sitting with strangers, Multilingual also offers private tutorials both at its facilities or your location. The center also offers a 10 percent “transitional” discount to those who are currently in-between jobs.
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Brazil in Chicago
2212 West Sunnyside Avenue, 312.284.1737
Behind an animal hospital and across the alley from the Bad Dog Tavern sits a charming three-story home with the green Brazilian national flag hanging in the window that doubles as a learning center.
Marcelo Jarmendia, a native of Sao Paulo, founded Brazil in Chicago four years ago, originally in Uptown. Mr. Jarmendia and a team of four other language teachers (three raised in Brazil, one in Portugal) continue to offer private and small class instruction in Brazil’s national language: Portuguese.
Assistant Director Victoria Carmona believes learning Portuguese is extremely important because of Brazil’s growing economy. DePaul University professor Luis Larrea agrees. “Brazil is on the cusp of doing big things,” he says. “It’s the largest economy in Latin America; it’s trade partners with Asia.
“Every global auto company is located there,” Mr. Larrea continues. “It’s a country to keep an eye on.”
And Brazil in Chicago offers a variety of ways to learn Portuguese. The center offers a 12-week, two-hour level one class beginning at $475. The center also offers private tutorials in-house or at your location; the price is determined by the center on a case-by-case basis.
Brazil in Chicago also offers non-traditional events such as happy hours, often held at the Brazilian steakhouse Texas de Brazil, to converse with other students in Portuguese and help build community. Additionally, the center offers an immersion cooking class ($75) where attendees are divided into a five-person team to prepare a six-course Brazilian meal. The event also includes three hours of language practice.
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Alliance Française de Chicago
810 North Dearborn Street, 312.337.1070
The Alliance Française de Chicago is a beacon for all Francophiles. More than a century old and counting, the organization offers classes designed for both children and adults with busy schedules. A 10-week, level one course starts at $340 for non-members and $305 for Alliance members.
Classes at Alliance focus on real world experiences, says Gaël Crépieux the director of Alliance Francaise de Chicago’s learning center.
“We use a functional approach, with an emphasis on verbal skills, so students have the chance to speak about situations that reflect their own experiences,” Mr. Crépieux says. “We also use various teaching strategies to help students use grammar in context: for example, students ask questions of their classmates, then share the responses with the class, which allows them to conjugate verbs in action.”
This interactivity is at the core of Alliance Française de Chicago’s philosophy.
“We have Alliance students who have studied with Rosetta Stone who seek the human, interactive experience in our classes,” Mr. Crépieux says. “You might be able to focus on a specific skill, such as grammar, with Rosetta Stone, but you do not get the cultural references and the contact with a larger community, which the Alliance provides.”
And the Alliance Française de Chicago offers a number of cultural events for those who crave immersion in French traditions, like “Wine and Gastronomy” events led by French chefs. Currently, the Alliance is featuring a year-long retrospective to French actress Catherine Deneuve as a part of its Cine-club film series.
A yearly adult membership for the Alliance Française de Chicago is $90 and includes discounts on both events and classes; it also grants Alliance students access to its vast multimedia library.
Chicago Organization Promotes Women’s Business Ownership
By Audrey Leon, Lauren B. Howard and Ambar Gilmore
Maribel Lopez Velazquez starts every day at 6 a.m. enthusiastically greeting busy parents and sleepy children from the top of her front porch at her Cicero home day care center.
Lopez Velazquez, 37, a single mother of four teenage children, lights up with joy whenever she talks about her students that range from infants to 12-years-old.
“Loving children is not the ingredient you need to open up your child care,” Lopez Velazquez said. “The ingredient you need is dedication, perseverance, you want to do something for yourself.”
Lopez Velazquez founded Bundle of Joy Group Child Care, 1626 S. 57th Ave., after attending the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) child care expo in 1998.
The center, at 8 S. Michigan Ave., provides assistance to those women who want to start a new business or those who already have.
Lopez Velazquez is one of 55,000 women that the center has helped in its 25 years in business. It has established 14 women’s assistance centers in six states including Minnesota and Pennsylvania.
In 1986, Hedy Ratner and Carol Dougal created the Women’s Business Development Center, a non-profit organization, to empower women by encouraging them to go into business for themselves.
“[The center] was really a critically interesting new way to economically empower women through business ownership,” said Ratner, co-president and founder of the center. “Because we felt that women needed to find their own way and their own power so they wouldn’t be dependent on others. Like white males.”
The Women’s Business Development Center holds an annual child care expo with workshops for Spanish- and English-speaking entrepreneurs looking to start their own day care business.
“I saw all these conferences coming up and all these workshops and I enrolled,” Lopez Velazquez said of the development center. “I took an active role to get more information.”
Ratner sees the expo as an important resource for those wanting to go into the child care field.
“The childcare expo was a way for us to bring together those who were thinking about going into the childcare business who were family providers of childcare or those who were establishing childcare centers or had childcare centers,” she said. “(We) provide them with information on trends; new resources they could use to be more successful.”
Maria Lopez, director of the Latina Business Program at the center for the last three years, points out that opening a daycare center is often overlooked.
“[The child care expo] is for the women who are already running a business and never really looked at it that way,” Maria Lopez said. “This was an opportunity for them to learn about the business aspect of taking care of children, teaching children, educating them.
“It came up because there was a need in the community, across communities,” she said.
With urging from her mother to start her own business, Lopez Velazquez began marketing her business idea to her community to drum up support.
“I started promoting in the neighborhood,” Lopez Velazquez said. “I started a child care waiting list. By the time I started my day care I had 25 kids enlist.”
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Contemporary Art Pops Up in Loop Storefronts
Originally published by the DePaulia student newspaper on March 8, 2010.
(Con)Temporary Art Space, 208 S. Wabash, is the latest project by Pop-Up Art Loop. The temporary gallery opened on Feb. 18 in the former South Loop home of Ritz Camera. (Photo by Audrey Leon)
By Audrey Leon
The economy may be rough for Chicago businesses but a new initiative by the Chicago Loop Alliance aims to transform empty storefronts into temporary art galleries one vacant property at a time.
Pop-Up Art Loop launched in 2009 opening three galleries around the Loop in late November. The organization uses donated properties, which would otherwise sit vacant until renters could be found, and places artists inside for free.
Ty Tabing, executive director of the Chicago Loop Alliance, said the group was inspired by similar programs in other cities called “phantom galleries.”
Pop-Up Art Loop’s (Con)Temporary Art Space , 208 S. Wabash, officially debuted on Feb. 18 in what once housed a Ritz Camera store. Blue camera-shaped neon signs, left from the previous renter, still adorn the walls in the gallery.
Photo by Audrey Leon
(Con)Temporary Art Space is the brainchild of Ed Marszewski and his cohort from Co-prosperity Sphere, 3219 S. Morgan St., which includes artists Emily Clayton, Serena Himmelfarb, Chris Roberson and Marszewski’s wife, Rachael. Marszewski also runs “Lumpen” and “Proximity” magazines from his home base in Bridgeport.
While artists are now encouraged to submit proposals to the Pop-Up Art Loop Web site, Marszewski said he was approached by the Chicago Loop Alliance to formulate a project.
The (Con)Temporary Art Space also includes a reading room, featuring local publications, a gift shop, and gallery space on walls and in the room’s many display cases.
The space also features a unique interactive mapping project. “The mapping project allows people to come in and pin a location of something that they find culturally important about Chicago whether it’s a restaurant or public art display,” Rachael Marszewski said.
Photo by Audrey Leon
The benefits of having temporary art galleries in vacant storefronts are numerous. For Tabing and the Chicago Loop Alliance, the benefit is making empty buildings more attractive to new businesses. For the artists at (Con)Temporary Art Space, the benefit is simply exposure. “A downtown location gives us the change to reach people who wouldn’t experience this type of art,” Ed Marszewski said. “It’s more difficult for people to show their work in Chicago and [the Pop-Up Art Loop initiative] helps.”
Rachael Marszewski agrees. “Most of us are a group of artists that are used to working on the periphery of the city,” Rachael Marszewski said. “It’s a good opportunity for us and the artists we’re involved with to have a central location, which we could never really afford to be in or have would it not be for free.”
The local business community has been mostly receptive, Tabing said. “Some have and some have not,” Tabing said. “We’re finding that property owners in Chicago give a damn and those in other cities, like New York, don’t.”
Photo by Audrey Leon
DePaul University, which has an enormous presence in the South Loop, supports the initiative. “DePaul has been a big part of the cultural and economic revitalization of the South Loop and we welcome creative initiatives that further revitalize the Loop,” said John Holden, DePaul University spokesman, via email.
While the number of visitors has been sparse, this does not discourage the artists at (Con)Temporary Art Space. “[The gallery] is a great interactive project,” Ed Marszewski said. “I love seeing people who don’t know what’s going on.”
The (Con)Temporary Art Space will host a new exhibition on Thursday, Feb. 24, from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., featuring the paintings of Polish artist Anja Jamrozik as well as a diorama of lead Dungeons and Dragons figures made by the Marszewskis.
Pop-Up Art Loop currently features four galleries, including the (Con)Temporary Art Space. Tabing suggests checking the Web site (popupartloop.com) for news on the latest gallery openings.
Bailiwick Repertory Chicago Reopened and Reinvented
Originally published by the DePaulia on Feb. 1, 2010.
By Audrey Leon
After 25 years, Members of the now defunct Bailiwick Repertory Theater have reunited under a new brand for a new season of shows.
Dubbed Bailiwick Chicago, the new theater company’s first show of the 2010 season is the musical revue “Show Us Your Love,” which features songs from famed musicals such as “Hair,” “Pippin,” “Aida,” and “Closer than Ever.”
“Show Us Your Love” is one of three smaller revues that will serve as fundraisers for future Bailiwick shows including a stripped-down version of Elton John’s “Aida.” Bailiwick Chicago hosted an open mic night on Jan. 31, at Joey’s Brickhouse on 1258 W. Belmont Ave.
“Bailiwick Repertory had a reputation for bold works and we want to keep challenging ourselves,” said Julie Burt Nichols, Bailiwick grants and development officer.
Bailiwick Repertory was renowned for its quality productions of “Animal Farm,” “Jerry Springer: The Opera,” its yearly rendition of “The Christmas Schooner” and its premiere of Dennis DeYoung’s “The Hunchback of Norte Dame.” Bailiwick was one of the first Chicago theaters to embrace the gay and lesbian community by staging its summer Pride Series.
The view that Bailiwick Repertory was known for its exemplary work is not one-sided. “Bailiwick was extremely well regarded for its daring, exciting work,” said Alan Salzenstein, League of Chicago Theatres board member.
When longtime artistic director David Zak left Bailiwick Repertory in September 2009- a year after the company lost its home of 15 years at 1229 W. Belmont Ave. due to financial troubles- Bailiwick’s board of directors dissolved the company, said Kevin Mayes, executive director of Bailiwick Chicago. Members had no choice but to start over.
“I saw it as an opportunity for folks who had worked at the Bailiwick in the past to create something they could really invest in,” Mayes said. “It was an opportunity to transfer brand recognition.”
However, Salzenstein believes there is a lot of baggage attached to the Bailiwick name. “Bailiwick has a founder’s perception,” Salzenstein said. “It was David Zak.”
The new Bailiwick Chicago is still homeless, but loving it.
“We’re happy to be transient,” said general manager Kate Garassino. “This way we can focus on our art and our audiences.”
Finding a permanent home is not out of the question. “Once we’ve searched out and figured out who we are and what kind of space we want to be in, that [finding housing] will definitely happen,” Mayes said.
Salzenstein believes Bailiwick Chicago’s story is just beginning.
“Chicago is very supportive of those who feel the entrepreneurial spirit in the arts,” Salzenstein said. “If they have creative people on every level, the sky’s the limit.”
Theatergoers can catch performances of “Show Us Your Love” at Hamburger Mary’s at 5400 N. Clark St. every Sunday night in February.
Chicago’s Frozen Yogurt Culture
Originally published in the DePaulia on Sept. 28, 2009.
By Audrey Leon
Yogen Fruz, 33 S. State Street
Customers create their own unique treat at Yogen Fruz. Customers choose between non-fat, low-fat and no-sugar – which contains Splenda – pre-packaged frozen mixtures and a flavor such as green tea, chocolate or strawberry, which are combined in a mixer.
Yogen Fruz offers toppings ranging from candy and nuts to fresh fruit and cereal. A small cup of Yogen Fruz’s signature yogurt starts at $2.95 and increases 50 cents for each additional topping.
According to store employee Diego Cruz the most popular way to consume Yogen Fruz is by blended drink. “Tropical Storm (a non-diary smoothie) is very popular,” Cruz said. Yogen Fruz’s creamy vanilla yogurt is quite tart and tends to dominate flavor combinations; the low-fat chocolate option is less extreme.
Berry Chill, 635 S. State Street
Berry Chill caters to busy young professionals with its modern green and white decor, self-service ordering kiosk, late store hours and recycling stations; they call it “Yogurt Culture.”
Customers can choose among original and three monthly flavors; September’s flavors are pina colada, chocolate-covered strawberry and passion fruit. A small Berry Chill original frozen yogurt begins at $2.99 and a flavored frozen yogurt at $3.99. Add up to three toppings, such as candy, nuts and fruit, to your mix for $1 extra.
Berry Chill bears a stamp of approval from the National Yogurt Association on its Web site and it received one from store employee Nicole Goodrich. “I don’t feel guilty about eating [Berry Chill],” she said. “It’s so refreshing and healthy.” In addition to being lactose-free, Berry Chill’s yogurt is sweet and tart but not entirely overpowering.
Starfruit, 2142 N. Halsted Street
Starfruit offers its patrons the most bang for their buck. Starfruit’s frozen yogurt is made with Kefir, a special yogurt loaded with 10 probiotic cultures while most only have three to five; Kefir is also higher in calcium, fiber and protein.
Starfruit’s frozen yogurt contains only a faint tart taste and is not overwhelmingly sweet. The flavor combinations are endless; patrons can swirl two flavors together such as strawberry and peach or original and blueberry. A small bowl, featuring a bigger portion than most stores, starts at $3. Add a topping for a $1 extra and 50 cents for each additional.
It is no coincidence that Starfruit’s Halsted location sits in between small clothing boutiques. General Manager Vince Bozman sees Starfruit as a boutique for frozen yogurt. “People come for the environment and to get something healthy,” Bozman said. Starfruit’s brightly-colored interior makes the shop friendly to all-ages.
// Audrey Leon // 