Thirty-one youth, majority being women have completed professional safety training and certification in the oil and gas industry under a presidential initiative, Women and Youth in Oil and Gas and Green Transitions (WYOGGT).

The initiative spearheaded by Dr Callistus Mahama, Executive Secretary to the President, aimed at improving the beneficiaries’ access to employment in the energy sector.

The beneficiaries received certifications in Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET), Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), and Fire Safety.

A statement issued said the initiative’s leadership says the graduates were expected to be considered for immediate employment through the Ministry of Energy, following authorisation from the Executive Secretary to the President.

It said the training formed part of a three-year programme spearheaded by Women and Youth in Oil and Gas and Green Transitions, which aims to train and integrate 700 women and young people into the oil, gas and green transition sectors.

“The programme is designed to support the government’s 24-hour economy and The Big Push agenda by equipping young people with industry-relevant skills and creating pathways into employment,” it added.

The statement said participants were being mobilized and selected from communities across the country, with some cohorts facilitated through collaboration with the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS).

However, it stressed that administrative processes and outstanding funding disbursements remained pending, while efforts to prepare additional beneficiaries continued.

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Abundant Hayford Aggrey, National President, WYOGGT, called on the President to intervene to protect the initiative, alleging that political opposition and other external pressures were threatening its implementation.

She said the certification of the first 31 beneficiaries demonstrated the programme’s potential to create employment opportunities for young Ghanaians, calling for measures to ensure that subsequent cohorts could benefit.

“With 31 of our youth now fully trained, certified, and cleared for employment by the Ministry of Energy, the impact of this vision is undeniable,” she added.

Aggrey appealed to the President to provide the necessary support and security for the initiative and her office, warning that disruptions could undermine efforts to equip hundreds of young people with skills for the energy sector.

She reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring that women and young people benefited from opportunities in Ghana’s natural resource industries.

The organisation says it intends to continue with the three-year programme to reach its target of 700 beneficiaries, subject to the completion of the necessary administrative and funding arrangements.





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