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.

About Shadrach Owusu
Shadrach Owusu, born on 28th March 1995 is male academic and staunch member of the conservative New Patriotic Party of Ghana.
He is an alumnus of Adisadel College, graduated to Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) where he studied BSc Petrochemical Engineering. Shadrach holds a Master of Business Administration in Petroleum Accounting and Finance from the University of Professional Studies, Accra as well as a Master of Arts in Political Communication from the Cardiff University in the United Kingdom.
As a Communications Strategist aside his petroleum career, he holds various professional diplomas in communication and international relations from King's College London, University of London, University of Leeds, all in United Kingdom, University of Washington, and Purdue University, all in United States of America and Trinity College in the University of Dublin, Ireland. Shadrach is a member of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) of the United Kingdom as well as a graduate member of the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE).
As an ardent believer in youth leadership, Shadrach rose through the ranks to be elected National Coordinating Secretary of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) as well as playing several roles as a delegate of the International Model United Nations in Cardiff University, Cambridge University and Oxford University, all in the United Kingdom.
Shadrach enrolled in a job with the Birmingham City Council in England, UK after briefly interning with the British Broadcasting Corporation's The Big Question TV show in Cardiff, Wales and later joined UK's leading multi-format specialist distributor of video games, Centresoft in Birmingham, England. Currently, He has been appointed as a social media and Digital Communications Strategist for the Ministry of Energy in Ghana where he combines his expertise in communications and energy management, taking keen interest in petroleum. He doubles as a member of the PR team for Ghana's incumbent Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh.

Source: Shadrach Owusu