National Staff development is one of AFPC corporate strategies. The vision has always been to create a National workforce that has the necessary technical, administrative and financial experience and is up to date with the many international technological developments used within the company over the past years.

There is clear evidence of success to date in this field with many National staff occupying senior positions that were previously held by Expatriate staff. The company continues this development of National staff in accordance with a plan to gradually replace experienced personnel with National staff.

In fact, the development of national staff has been so successful that many managed to secure jobs with international companies inside and outside Syria. In 2006-08 alone, when the international market demand for qualified oil industry staff was high. AFPC lost over 200 key staff.

To counter the negative impact of this outflow of key staff in AFPC's business, AFPC started a focused 2-year graduate development programme  in mid 2007 . As part of this programme each year some 50 new graduates enter training in AFPC state of the art El Ward training center in the field. The first batch of the engineers thus became available to take-up AFPC positions in mid 2009.

The success of the program has led to the introduction in 2008 of separate development programs conducted by AFPC also of new graduates earmarked to start work in SPC and other Joint Venture companies in Syria.

For other staff. development is both "on the job" and through participation in dedicated courses, mostly inside Syria. For selected individuals when special training is demanded by the business overseas training is available.