By Edward Dankwah, GNA
Accra, Jan. 19, GNA – The Women in Oil and Gas (WIOG) has partnered the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), to roll out a nationwide orientation programme under the Presidential Oil and Gas Absorption Initiative.
This initiative is aimed at preparing young people, especially women for employment in Ghana’s oil and gas industry.
Speaking at an orientation workshop for NUGS members in Accra, Mrs Abundant Hayford Aggrey, the National President of WIOG, said the partnership reflected WIOG’s long-standing commitment to equipping the youth, particularly women, with practical skills and internationally recognised certifications required to work in the sector.
She said WIOG initiated its youth training programme in 2016 after identifying a critical gap, not in academic qualifications, but in awareness of the certification, safety, and ethical standards demanded by the industry.
Mrs Aggrey said the programme had since attracted national attention and aligned with the government’s Presidential Oil and Gas Absorption Initiative, which sought to train and employ more young people as part of the 24-hour economy agenda.
She said the President had directed the Energy Ministry, through the National Petroleum Authority, to fully sponsor selected trainees, while the Ghana Navy provided pre-certification survival-at-sea and swimming training to prepare candidates for offshore operations.
Mrs Aggrey noted that the oil and gas industry was largely certification-driven, stressing that even junior high school graduates could gain employment if they obtained the requisite safety and professional certifications.
She said the initiative was later expanded to the University of Ghana, Legon, where WIOG partnered the university’s counselling department to train 196 students.
“Of this number, about 50 to 55 met the strict code, ethics, and safety standards required to obtain Environmental and Occupational Safety and Health (EOSH) certification, with many of them currently undertaking their national service,” she added.
As part of the expansion, WIOG has allocated 400 training slots to NUGS to ensure nationwide representation, while additional slots have been reserved for traditional authorities, religious leaders, and the public.
She said the selection process would be merit-based and non-political, cautioning that although the government may facilitate employment opportunities, only candidates who met industry certification standards would be allowed to proceed.
She added that future engagements would include public auditions to assess applicants’ knowledge and suitability before admission into the programme.
She reaffirmed WIOG’s commitment to building a competent, certified workforce capable of supporting Ghana’s growing oil and gas industry, while opening sustainable employment pathways for women and young people across the country.
Mr Rashid Ibrahim (Esq), the National President, NUGS, said the youth unemployment in Ghana as a growing challenge could pose a national security threat if not urgently addressed, stressing the need for practical, industry-focused interventions to reverse the trend.
He said securing employment opportunities for students after graduation remained a top priority of his leadership, welcoming the WIOG initiative, which sought to train young people, including graduates and certificate holders, with the aptitude to work in the sector.
He said NUGS was engaged by the leadership of WIOG to support the programme, which aimed to equip beneficiaries with internationally recognised certifications to prepare them for careers in the industry, noting that it aligned with NUGS’ objective of bridging the gap between academic training and employability.
Mr Ibrahim added that WIOG planned to train about 700 young people nationwide, starting with an initial cohort of 200 participants from the Greater Accra Region.
He expressed optimism that beneficiaries would be retained in the sector after training, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s oil and gas industry.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo