MDPI to well position Ghana in oil and gas industry

Accra, July 31, GNA – The Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI) has assured the citizenry of international standards to well position Ghana in the oil and gas industry.

Mr Assibit Philip Akpeena, Managing Consultant of MDPI told a media interaction in Accra at the weekend that was a growing concern among the public about the pace of the oil and gas training programme jointly undertaken by MDPI and the Goodwill International Group (GIG).

He said information gathered by MDPI indicated that many people were worried about how the training was being done, adding that the institute was well focused on the programme.

Mr Akpeena explained that the training was in various categories saying: “Competency based training for the oil and gas industry is not like the conventional academic programme where students learn for the sake of passing examinations.

“Beneficiaries need ideal periods after each component to enable them relate the knowledge acquired in that component to the environment and prepare for effective participation in the subsequent components.

“This will enable them go through every aspect including knowledge, competency and practice based of their respective care areas that will make them competitively employable and entrepreneurial in the oil and gas industry.”

He said it was not possible for the whole country to be grouped in Accra for the training since it would be an extra cost to beneficiaries and their sponsors.

“That is why we zoned the country to make it easier for the beneficiaries and their sponsors to afford the training. This, however, builds extra cost for the programme administration.”

He said it was very expensive to train a single person while majority of sponsors of beneficiaries were not honouring their part of the bargain for the programme to run smoothly.

Mr Abdul Karim Adam, Programme Co-ordinator of the Oil and Gas Training Programme of MDPI said the first phase of the training had been completed nationwide while the second phase would commerce soon.

He said the beneficiaries participating in the training totalled 7,020, out of which the National Youth Employment Programme was supporting about 5,000, which constituted more than 70 per cent.

He said a number of trainees were being supported by some members of parliament, National Security, district assemblies and some corporate bodies.

He said the GIG/MDPI management had worked so hard to support the successful delivery of the first phase, though no significant payment had so far been received from supporters of the beneficiaries.

Mr Adam said the first phase of the training was successful and candidates were introduced to two core compulsory models, designed to equip them with the necessary information, knowledge and foundation skills to propel them to competitively secure jobs or develop enterprises in various aspects of the oil and gas industry.

Mr Adam said the second phase, which would start soon would group candidates according to their career areas of interest in the oil and gas industry and introduce them to specialised models.

He said the second phase was the major phase, and would provide the participants with practical hands-on knowledge, skills and exposure that would enable them to secure jobs, businesses or develop self own enterprise in the oil and gas industry effectively.

The phase three would involve field-based practical exposure and industrial attachment programmes aimed at bridging the gap between information, knowledge and skills on one hand, and exposure, practices and entrepreneurship on the other hand.

He expressed satisfaction about the programme, which to him had received a huge interest by the bigger players in the industry including Tullow.

Mr Adam said Tullow had described the programme “as the most credible and useful to the local content process”.

He said the international organisations interested in the future of the new industry in Ghana saw the programme as a timely tactic that would enable the effectual implementation of the local content laws in particular.

Mr Adam said a team of parliamentarians from Nigeria who were in Ghana for a productivity enhancement training with the MDPI also lauded the programme as an effectual local content development strategy, which both Nigeria and Angola, (two major oil) producing countries never discovered.