The Management of Takoradi Technical University have signed a 3.5 million Ghana Cedis agreement with the Petroleum Commission of Ghana to train Ghanaian youth in the upstream oil and gas sector to boost local content in the oil and gas and its allied industries.
The Accelerated Oil and Gas Capacity training programme (AOGC) forms part of government’s strategic agenda to localize most of the expatriate roles for Ghanaians to play critical role in the production and management of oil and gas resources in the country.
Signing the pact, the Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Commission Mr. Egbert Faibille Jnr., explained that AOGC programme is part of effort to ensure that gaps in competency requirements and skills needed for employment in the Upstream Petroleum Sector are filled by deliberately training interested Ghanaians to equip them with such skills set to guarantee availability of human expertise to participate in the Upstream Petroleum Sector.
“The Commission is committed to the Local Content objectives and therefore will collaborate with local institutions in areas of skills development and the transfer of technical know-how to allow more Ghanaians take up critical roles in the efficient management of Ghana’s petroleum resources”, he added.
According to him, the programme is aimed to cutdown cost in bringing expatriates to the country in order to support the developmental agenda of Ghana.
The high cost of importing these expatriates’ continue to have an adverse effect on the revenue generation of the country hence the introduction of the AOGC, he stated.
Mr. Faibille Jnr. further explained that the Accelerated Oil and Gas training programme is being funded from the Commission’s levy from the oil production. He assured stakeholders of the commission’s resolve to ensure sustainable and equitable distribution of gains from the oil and gas resource to benefit Ghanaians.
On his part, the Vice Chancellor of TTU, Rev. Prof. John Frank Eshun commended the commission for their commitment in giving opportunity to more Ghanaians to play meaningful roles in the upstream petroleum industry through the Government Accelerated Oil and Gas Capacity programme.
Rev. Prof. Eshun was very optimistic that the partnership will yield the needed results and change the fortunes of the country to reap the full benefit in the production and management of the country’s oil and gas resources.
“Takoradi Technical University is committed to supporting the Commission to develop its technical capacity by giving the trainees the requisite training and exposure that will help them participate in petroleum and the allied industries in one of the best training facilities on the African continent, the Jubilee Training Centre at TTU”, he stated.
Explaining the details of the training, the Vice Chancellor indicated that the trainees will be taken through Instrumentation Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Process Engineering and Health & Safety. “The JTTC is equipped with the state-of-the art industrial replicated oil and gas learning environment to give the best skills and competencies to the trainees, he added.
Rev. Prof. Eshun further assured the commission and the general public that the trainees will receive a world class training from internationally certified lecturers with the needed critical skills and competencies to enable them take commanding roles in the petroleum and its allied industries.
“The Jubilee Technical Training Centre was strategically established by the University and the Jubilee Partners to oversee the training of Ghanaians with knowledge and skills in the exploration, production and management of the oil and gas resources to help the socio-economic development of Ghana”, he stated.
Present at the signing of the agreement from the Takoradi Technical University were the Pro Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victor Kweku Bondzie Micah, the Registrar, Mr. Moses Maclean Abnory, the Director of Finance, Dr. Gabriel Sam Ahinful, the Dean of the Faculty of the Engineering and Centre Manager of JTTC, Prof. John Bentil and the University Legal Counsel, Mr. Samuel Adinkrah. On the part of Petroleum Commission were Mr. Benjamin Asante, a representative from the Ministry of Energy, Dr. Paul Frimpong, the Consultant for the AOGC programme, Mr. Mustapha Hamid, the General Manager AOGC among others.
- Source:Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM