1,000 Ghanaians to be trained annually for oil and gas industry

Government has rolled out plans to train over one thousand (1,000) Ghanaians annually under the Accelerated Oil and Gas Capacity (AOGC) Programme to prepare them for massive job opportunities and to meet the demand of human labour required by companies in the sector.

Persons who would be enrolled on the programme will be equipped with various technical skills to be able to work in any oil and gas company based in Ghana or abroad.

These were made known in a speech read on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo by the Minister for Energy, Boakye Agyarko at the launch of the AOGC Programme at the Regional Maritime University in Accra, Tuesday.

Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) and several employees in the public sector, according to the President will also benefit from the initiative.

"Two hundred SMEs will be provided with the capacity to gain a competitive advantage in the industry, and some three hundred employees in public institutions also adequately prepared to support the development of oil and gas policies, and the enforcement of industry regulations," he said.

About AOGC

The AOGC Programme is one of the flagship 2016 campaign promises of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The programme, according to President Akufo-Addo was launched to ensure the country runs a successful oil and gas regime following the discovery of oil in the country in 2007.



He said a number of capacity building programmes, including the AOGC have been introduced to make sure personnel are trained to acquire the necessary skills to manage the oil and gas resources.

"Our Universities continue to train geologist and petroleum engineers. However, we have not been able to train the technicians and middle-level personnel who are in high demand by the oil industry. For example I am told the industry requires 500 internationally accredited welders, which provides enormous potential for the youth, and we must take advantage of this."

Supported by a World Bank facility, President Akufo-Addo disclosed that seven educational institutions have been selected to participate in the AOGC programme.

He said the Maritime University is among the beneficiaries, hence the commissioning of a facility to “train first class welders and other categories of technicians to serve the needs of the oil industry”.

The President also reiterated government’s commitment to increasing upstream activities following the country’s victory in the maritime boundary dispute with Cote D’Ivoire urging companies operating in the industry to be committed to performing their responsibilities.

“Government reserves the right to exercise options available to us, including the termination of the agreements if they fail to comply with the terms agreed between us,” he warned.