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 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.”

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. 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”. 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.

Source: GNA