ADVERTISEMENT

Tackling Ghana’s Skills Shortage Head On

But Ghana’s oil and gas sector is facing a talent crunch as demand for labour exceeds supply. Without a skilled, educated workforce, efforts to deliver on the sector’s potential may fall short. Stakeholders are united in their belief that the root cause of the skills shortage must be tackled head on.

But Ghana’s oil and gas sector is facing a talent crunch as demand for labour exceeds supply.

But what is the answer for  addressing this skills shortage, and who should be responsible? The answer lies in collaboration where public and private sector works together to address the skills gap. Recently, GE, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and Ashesi University signed a Memorandum of Understanding on research and training of professionals to shore-up skills for the sector.

GE has committed $3.5 million for local capacity building in collaboration with GNPC and Ashesi and is working with Ashesi to develop a curriculum applicable to the Ghanaian oil industry through its Oil and Gas University initiative. Supply chain development is crucial, so training and financing of Ghanaian small and medium sized suppliers and service providers are key focus areas.

A scholarship fund will also be created to support students in Ghanaian universities and vocational institutions who are studying Engineering or oil and gas related fields. The scholarship will cover the full tuition for a four-year degree in engineering or gas related courses. Future students will also be trained on best practices and technologies in the United States, Italy and Scotland. These are all vital first steps to help augment the country’s human resource base.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Training, building skills and technology transfer are key ingredients of GE’s localisation strategy in Ghana,” said Mr Marco Caccavale, CEO GE Oil & Gas Africa. “We have similar programmes running in countries across the region and the results speak for themselves.”

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ernest Aryeetey and the Managing Director and Chief Executive of the GNPC, Mr. Alex Mould agreed that training is key to delivering skills development. Professor Aryeetey said he was very excited in particular about the scholarship award programme. “Human capital remains the most vital resource that any organisation can have and we are glad that GE is placing a great premium on it”.

By collectively addressing the skills gap, there is the real potential to develop a solid foundation of skilled Ghanaian workers to build a lasting and mutually beneficial industry.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh

ADVERTISEMENT