Shadrach Owusu Writes: AOGC Is A Good Catalyst For Ghana’s Local Content And Participation In The Energy Sector

In retrospect to the immediate past ministerial vetting, addressing a question on local content and participation by Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (the then Energy Minister-designate) revealed that we collectively as a country must endeavour to ensure that most people are trained well and certified to be able to play in the industry.
 
For many, it probably was a talk to score political points at his vetting. But time has revealed recently that since his assumption of office, priority has been placed on making sure the Ghanaian youth are well equipped to man the technical aspect of the energy sector.
 
It is worthy to note that as a step to boost our local content, 150 young men and women have been selected by the Petroleum Commission to undergo training in various modules at the Jubilee Technical Training Centre (JTTC) at Takoradi Technical University under the Accelerated Oil and Gas Capacity Building Programme (AOGC) for a 6-month period.
The training aims at equipping trainees with skills in process technicianship, instrumentation technicianship, mechanical and electrical technicians as well as health and safety.
 
Successful trainees will acquire CITY AND GUILDS LEVEL III certification and will not only be suitable for the oil and gas industry but allied sectors such as manufacturing, construction processing, automobile among others.
 
The AOGC is in fulfilment of a campaign promise by President Akufo-Addo to ensure that Ghanaians are equipped with the relevant skills to be able to work in Ghana’s oil and gas industry. The President recognises the need for our young people to be equipped with skills that will make them competitive in the industry and therefore decisively introduced the AOGC programme.
 
I am optimistic that this initiative will catapult the technical know-how of our youth in the energy sector to do more exploits and add to our already attained heights.