The CEO of Ghana’s Petroleum Commission, Egbert Faibile Jr. and some government officials have undertaken a familiarisation visit of the North Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton, Canada, where five Ghanaians are due to undergo a one-year training in welding to prepare them for jobs in Ghana’s upstream petroleum industry.
The specialised welding programme is projected to cost about $250,000, and will be sponsored by Baker Hughes/GE.
The NAIT, North America’s largest welding training centre, was selected for this project based on its capacity, accreditation, technical expertise and experience in providing welders with the skills required to participate in the oil and gas industry.
Consultant for the Accelerated Oil and Gas Capacity Building (AOGC) Project of the Petroleum Commission, Dr. Paul Frempong noted that many of the welders in Ghana are unable to participate in the industry because they do not hold the certifications required by the industry. He added that the five Ghanaians will be equipped with the requisite expertise required for employment in the sector.
“In order to meet international standards and with the reciprocity agreement with the US, the trained welders will receive two certifications from the Canadian Bureau of Welding and the American Welding Society. These two certifications are one of several welding certifications needed to participate in the oil and gas industry,” explained Dr. Frempong.
On his part, Snr. Account Manager at NAIT, Mr. Ignacio Garcia is optimistic that the welders will be better equipped to undertake welding projects after completing the programme.
“We have undertaken similar projects for about 40 companies and the results have always been positive. Rest assured, your welders are in safe hands, and they will surely return to Ghana with the required skills to undertake welding projects in your industry,” noted Mr. Garcia.
The five welding candidates were selected from four technical institutions: The Regional Maritime University, Takoradi Technical Institute, Kikam Technical Institute and the Jubilee Technical Institute. The selection criteria were based on the students’ academic track record, recommendations from the institutions as well as interviews conducted by representatives from the Localisation, Local Content and AOGC Departments at the Commission.
The students are expected to start the programme in September this year. On their return in September 2020, the trained welders are expected to undertake Training of Trainers programme in order to transfer skills learned with their colleague welders in Ghana.
The familiarisation visit was undertaken on the sidelines of the just-ended Global Petroleum Show held in Calgary, Canada. The Commission is optimistic that its active participation at the event will encourage Canadian oil and gas companies to explore investment opportunities in Ghana’s upstream petroleum industry.
Accelerated Oil and Gas Capacity Building (AOGC) Project
The AOGC was established in November 2017 with the intent to enhance the capacity of Ghanaians to enable them to work in the oil and Gas sector. The program will be in effect for 5 years and aims to train individuals in various technical and vocational areas, build the capacity of educational institutions to be able to train students and provide internationally recognized training certificates, provide business and management training for SMEs, and to ensure the continuous professional development of employees of various public institutions connected to the oil and gas industry.
The objectives of the program include ensuring the creation of jobs and professional integration pathways, facilitating capacity building of educational and training institutes, investing in education and skills enhancement, to minimize the cost of training, localize training, improve quality of education/training, empowering local companies to actively participate in the oil and gas industry, to train Ghanaians in high job creating sectors (welding, pipe fitting, fabrication and installation, etc.), and to encourage women’s participation in the AOGC.
Business Today | Ghana
