HOIMA – About 50 youth in the oil-rich Albertine region have been empowered with skills that should help them take advantage of the opportunities in the oil and gas sector.
The one-month training which was conducted at Uganda Industrial Research Institute equipped the beneficiaries with skills in rigging, pipe fitting, electrical installation, electrical maintenance, and scaffolding.
The beneficiaries were selected from different vocation institutions such as St. Joseph Technical Institute, Buhimba Technical Institute in Kikuube district, St. Simon Peter Vocation Training Institute and Nile Vocational Training Institute in Hoima district, and Uganda Technical Institute Kyema in Masindi district among others.
The beneficiaries graduated on Friday at a colorful function held in Hoima West division in Hoima City having fulfilled the requirements International Engineering Construction Industry Training Board [ECTIB] and Certification Programme 2022.
The training was funded by China National Offshore Oil Corporation [CNOOC] Uganda which manages the Kingfisher oil field in Buhuka parish Kyangwali Sub-county in Kikuube district.
CNOON president Liu Xiangdong said that the training is one of the strategies put in place by the company to develop human resource capacity to fulfill the national and local content requirements in the oil and gas sector.
In the message which was delivered by Eric Daniel Jumba the CNOOC national content manager, Liu said the initiative is aimed at fostering social economic development in the oil-rich Albertine Graben and Uganda at large.
“Communities are an integral part of our business and trained communities align around our shared goals. We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about the prosperity of our community,” he said.
He added adding that CNOOC has implemented national content programmes such as training of trainers, welder certification, heavy goods vehicle certification, heavy equipment training, enterprise development, and community suppliers development among others.
Hoima City mayor, Brian Kaboyo commended CNOOC for empowering the youth with the skills needed in the oil and gas sector.
He said urged the youth to remain disciplined even after getting oil jobs. “You have got lifetime skills but to survive with these skills, you must be disciplined and trustworthy. Without discipline, you cannot survive at work,” he said.
He challenged the oil companies to employ the trained youth, adding several youth have trained in different fields such as driving and welding but remain employed.
The deputy resident city commissioner in charge of Hoima City East, William commended CNOOC for equipping the youth with vocational skills.
“Countries like Germany have development because they prioritised vocational skills development but here [in Uganda] people have a negative attitude that vocational skills are reserved for those who fail national examinations.
Joseph Nyakairu, senior content officer in charge of capacity building at the Petroleum Authority of Uganda [PAU] said that the signing of the Final Investment Decision [FID] for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline [EACOP] has opened immense opportunities, specifically for enterprise development, employment, and skills development.
He noted that the ongoing developments in the oil and gas sector present opportunities for
Ugandans, adding that at the peak of the activities 2023 –2025 about 160,000 workers will be required, with 13,000 direct, 42,000 indirect, and over 105,000 induced.
He noted Over 12,121 people are already working on the project sites, 94 percent of whom are Ugandans, and contracts worth US$ 6.8 billion have been approved for award to various Ugandan and foreign contractors.
Ivan Wesonga, chief executive officer of Zeta Energy LTD who was the consultant of the training said the beneficiaries have been registered on the National Oil and Gas Talent Register.
Trimaru Theopister, one of the beneficiaries who qualified in scaffolding expressed excitement about the skills acquired, saying she now has hope of getting a job in the oil and gas sector. “This is a big chance I have got because I had never dreamed about this. It is God who has done this for me and thank CNOOC for giving me this opportunity,” she said.
Uganda expects to produce first oil in 2025.
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