Accra, Dec. 10, GNA - All is set for the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI) of the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare to train Ghanaians in the emerging oil and gas industry. The training programme scheduled to take off in January 2011 was initiated by the Institute in October this year to ensure the full participation of Ghanaians at all levels in the emerging oil and gas industry.

The Institute, with funding and technical support of its collaborating agencies, will provide a short-term practical hands-on competency based training programme for Ghanaians to work at various levels of the various career areas in the Oil and Gas Industry. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra on Friday, Dr Shaibu Ahmed Gariba, the Director General, said the training would build capacities of unskilled and semi-skilled Ghanaians to proceed with their careers in accounting, administration, engineering, finance, human resource and commerce. Dr Gariba said the Institute had received over 3,000 applications nationwide majority of whom were the youth including a great number of women.

"These applications have been duly screened and classified in the various categories of skills to be offered and it is now up to the individual applicants to follow up on our website and select from the two subject training openings offered to them". Dr Gariba said the Institute was currently working hard to reach the applicants, who were scattered across the country, to enable them to start the necessary follow-ups that would allow them to register before the deadline set for the start of the training some of which would be held in the Regional capitals.

Dr Gariba asked those who had already accepted the offer to search the entry offered on the Goodwill International Group website (training@mygoodwillgroup.com) to see the training area they had been offered.

"Those who wish to accept the offer should download the registration form on the same website complete it and submit it to the entity they submitted in the application form or contact the MDPI or oilandgastraining@mygoodwillgroup.com for any clarification. The special training to be offered include environment and sanitation, security and protection, health and safety, technical and technology, transportation and terminal, media and communication, drilling, exploration and production, field development, law, the geosciences and Information Communication Technology (ICT).

The rest are logistics and procurement, general operations and management, petrochemicals, biotechnology, refining, rigging, sales and marketing, general and applied sciences as well as some of the various oil and gas multiplier and related disciplines. The participating candidates would be Ghanaians with basic and secondary level education to be trained to work on unskilled areas. Ghanaians with diplomas and first degree level professional, academic and technical education would be trained to work as semi-skilled and then the fully qualified Ghanaian professionals, masters and experienced practitioners to be trained to work as managers, consultants and or advisors.

"Upon detailed feasibilities, further discussions and technical consultations, strategic provision of participation opportunities to District Assemblies (Local Government Bodies), the National Youth Employment programme, Constituencies (MPs), and some for the general public with priority for candidates of the oil communities has been determined. "The programme shall be delivered by a joint team of world leading competency based training and service provider firms in the oil and gas industry including Petroskills and Schlumberger as well as Africa Gulf Petroleum Services and locally sourced and developed experts of the MDPI." 10 Dec. 10