Fourteen employees of the Exploration and Engineering Departments of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), on Friday completed the first jubilee up-skill programme in the oil and gas industry. An Initiative of GNPC and supported by Tullow Ghana Limited (TGL), the programme aimed at developing the critical manpower required for the growth of the nascent upstream petroleum industry in the country. They include Mark Prempeh, Godwin Geraldo-Delima, Eugenia Fefoame, Lucy Nyameah, William Asaam, Daniel Koranteng, Simon Essilfie and Andy Frimpong-Manso among others. Mr Dai Jones, President and General Manager of TGL, announced this at special Dinner to celebrate the success of advanced studies and mentorship programme of the GNPC trainees in Accra. He said the participants pursued various oil and gas related post-graduate programmes in some prestigious universities in the United Kingdom. In addition, they went through secondment and mentorship programme with Tullow’s offices in London, Cape Town, Accra and Takoradi. Mr Jones noted that the participants were taken through a combination of academic work and practical hands on training to enhance their expertise and capacity in the industry. “My information is that in both their academic work and practical attachment, our up and coming oil and gas experts acquitted themselves creditably,” he added. “Indeed, they have justified every penny expended in building their ability and knowledge in this new sector, so far as the country’s economy is concerned.” Mr Dai said the company’s intention was to help the country develop the human capital that would be required for the development of the state’s potential in oil and gas. “To facilitate the process to ensure that in the not too distant future, Ghanaians would be able to effectively manage this critical national resource, ours is a partnership that believes in giving very practical meaning to the concept of local content, skills and technology transfer,” he noted. He urged the trainees to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in a way that would add value to the country’s oil and gas industry. Nana Boakye Asafu-Adjei, Chief Executive Officer of GNPC, said some of the specialised programmes taken by the participants include Masters in Science Petroleum Geosciences, Masters in Science Petroleum Engineering, Masters in Science Exploration Geophysics and Masters in Science Integrated Petroleum Geosciences among others. He commended TGL for responding positively to the initiative and expressed the hope that more of such collaborative programmes would be implemented for the benefit of the two institutions. Nana Asafu-Adjei, announced that similar programmes would be concluded with other partners operating under the petroleum agreement in Ghana. He advised the trainees to develop the right attitude towards work in the industry and maintain hard work and highest integrity. “The Management of the GNPC promises to continue to provide the opportunity for you to apply your knowledge and skills to your fullest potentials,” he said. Source: GNA