The Venture Gulf training and development centre will sign a joint-agreement with a major Australian energy firm in the new year to expand its course offering, it has been claimed.

Speaking to the Peninsula, Javeed A. Quereshi, acting training centre manager, did not divulge which firm the training and development institute will be working with, but said that the courses will focus on soft learning in areas such as management, leadership, time management and human resources.

He claimed: "[The] value of the course will be increased by its recognition and accreditation by the Australian authority."

The Venture Gulf centre also offers a host of practical training programmes and boasts underwater helicopter escape simulators, sea survival and firefighting facilities.

Among the regional operators that use the training and development institute are Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation, Qatar Petroleum and Ras Gas.

First opened in 1996, the facilities were the first of their kind in Qatar.

Oil and Gas Directory: Training and Development