Beware of bogus Oil and Gas Training Programmes - Consultant

A technical and vocational education and training expert, Mr Stephen Turkson has cautioned the public on need to verify the credibility of mushrooming training organizations offering training programmes for the petroleum industry.

According to him, many of the programmes being offered in oil and gas by such institutions were run by facilitators who did not have the competencies and qualifications to undertake such courses, advising those seeking such training to ensure that whichever establishment they get that training from was duly registered and accredited by the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET).

People identify loopholes within the economy and come up with schemes to exploit the public, Mr Turkson said at the end of a 10-day oil and gas training programme organized by the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum and COTVET.

He explained that there were stringent competencies and standards within the oil and gas sector that must be met, adding, the public must be careful about the institutions they patronize.

The only way to ensure that you are receiving training that is recognized by the industry is by enrolling with training institutions that are accredited by COTVET, he said.

The workshop was held for Oil and Gas training instructors from the Regional Maritime University, Takoradi Technical Institute, and the Kikam Technical Institute.

The three institutions are beneficiaries of the Oil and Gas Capacity Building Project a US$ 38m Government initiative, funded by the World Bank with the objectives of improving management, regulation and the transparency of the industry.

The project also focuses on enhancing technical skills in the sector by supporting training institutions to provide engineering, technical, and professional training for Ghanaian workers needed by the petroleum sector.