“Beginning in the 1970s, we trained more than 20,000 South Africans to become welders, electricians and pipefitters on a synfuels project,” the company says. “Twenty years later, again in South Africa, Fluor and its client opened a facility that has trained more than 30,000 people in skilled crafts.

“Overall, during just the past 10 years, Fluor has trained more than 250,000 craft personnel using industry-leading systems, methods and processes,” the company continues.

“The training allows individuals to achieve certification levels at established national standards and is provided via traditional instructor-led classroom format and online Web-based programs.”

Good Citizen
Fluor says ethics are the foundations of its operations. “For example, we:    

• “Lead our industry in combating the corruption that consumes more than 5 percent of the world's gross domestic product and robs local populations, particularly in developing countries, of critically needed resources – a practice that curbs economic growth and development;
• “promote integrity, transparency, and accountability by fostering strong and independent board-level oversight;
• “use a global work force and supplier network of diverse ideas, backgrounds and expertise;
• “support, along with our employees, vital educational and other community institutions;
• “rank among the safest companies in the industries in which we work, one result of our determination to minimize any negative impact to the environment or harm to employees, clients, or communities; [and]
• “train local citizens around the world – more than 250,000 thus far – to become skilled craftspeople, thus improving their job capabilities and strengthening the local economy.”

“As a leader in the global building and services marketplaces, we focus not only on such traditional measures of success as profitability, but also on a series of broader measures that we refer to collectively as global responsibility,” CEO Alan Boeckmann said in a statement. “Simply put, this means doing the right thing to benefit our clients, shareholders, employees, suppliers and others in the communities in which we work.

“The philosophy of doing the right thing is hardly new at Fluor,” Boeckmann added. “For almost a century, those who founded and built what is now Fluor Corp. have evidenced a strong social consciousness, which helps explain the company’s duration and success.”

Playing It Safe
The company takes its responsibility for health, safety and the environment (HSE) seriously, it says. The company’s HSE program “integrates the highest international standards into each project phase and verifies our consistent and complete performance,” it says. The standards its HSE program draws on include ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001, according to the company, but it also relies on other, less tangible resources.

“Fluor approaches health, safety and the environment from a combination of bedrock principles and extensive knowledge obtained over many decades of experience,” the company says.

The reason Fluor puts so much time and effort into being a good corporate citizen no matter where it operates is simple, the company says.

“Today, more than ever, companies are valued as much for their ethical behavior and integrity as for their financial performance,” it says. “Fluor’s highly regarded reputation has evolved over many years and is among the company’s most valuable assets. Ethics policies based on sound judgment and fair dealings are vital to our clients and integral to our reputation.