Government collaborates with Canada to train Ghanaian welders

The Petroleum Commission has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology to train five Ghanaian welders to become internationally accredited and certified.

The Commission has also collaborated with Saiwest Limited, an integrated service company in oil and gas industry, to train over 20 Ghanaians across the country as welders at a facility in Takoradi.

A speech read on behalf of Mr Prince Benjamin Aboagye, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Petroleum Commission, announced this in Accra at the reception ceremony held for Ghanaian participants who traveled to Brazil for capacity building training in the oil and gas sector.

In January 2019, MODEC Production Services Ghana JV Limited (MPSG), a Japanese firm supported 16 Ghanaian nationals to travel Brazil and learn from best practices and impact the knowledge acquired to the country’s upstream sector.

The beneficiaries were selected from different departments in the extractive sector and spent six months to get hands-on training in Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSOs).

They were trained in FPOSs maintenance, operations, and management and upon their return to Ghana, the trainees are expected to impact their knowledge to others in the country’s oil and gas sector, with the aim of building a much stronger local content for the nation.

Mr Aboagye said the programme demonstrated commitment to the enhancement to local content in the country, an initiative which feeds into government agenda to develop the human resource base for increased participation in the oil and gas sector.

He said more of such initiatives be encouraged in the industry to develop the competencies of Ghanaians and position them to take up key roles in the field.

He said as a part of government's accelerated oil and gas capacity programme, the Commission is working with some multinational companies such as Baker, General Electric, and Haliburton to establish a framework to offer technical training to a number of Ghanaians.

Mr Aboagye urged the participants to reciprocate the gesture by serving their employers with diligence, honesty, and integrity and by extension the country as a whole.

Mr Theophilus Ahwireng, the Managing Director, MPSG, congratulated the trainees for the successful programme and urged them to give their utmost support for the growth of the sector.

He said their outfit would continue to invest in the building capacity of Ghanaians to be competitive in the oil and gas market.

Mr Kwaku Andoh Awotwi, the Managing Director of Tullow Ghana, expressed satisfaction to be a part of the programme, and urged the participants to inculcate the knowledge acquired to benefit their organizations.

Mr Gideon Yinsob, one of the trainees, and human resource practitioners, thanked MODEC Production Service and its partners for supporting them to upgrade their skills in the oil and gas sector.

He said the training was successful and has learnt more about job evaluation, human resource planning and strategy and salary scale.

He pledged to use the experience acquired to improve service in the oil and gas sector for sustained performance.

Ms Victoria Ayita, a beneficiary and a Supply Chain practitioner, said she learnt new trends in the sector and would apply the knowledge in the organisation for improved change.