A 12-month Nigerian Content NC-Remedial Training Programme for young university graduates kicked off on Friday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with 29 trainees expected to focus on general skill sets and specialised skill sets that would fit them for oil and gas industry operations. Organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in conjunction with Waltersmith Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited, the programme would introduce the participants to Entrepreneurship, Health Safety at Work, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and Engineering Materials, under the general skill sets. These are compulsory for all the trainees. Specialised skill sets, where participants are required to concentrate on one or the other of the many competencies available, include Project Management, Scrum Master, Quality Management System ISO 9001:2015, Welding and Fabrication, Mobile Crane Operation, Plumbing and Pipe-fitting, and Mechanical Engineering Designs. At the Kick-off Ceremony at Dexterous Applied Training Institute, Port Harcourt, the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation of NCDMB, Mr. Akintunde Adelana, said the programme is for human capital development which is central to the mandate of the Board, and also for the good of the trainees who need such vital skills to secure employment in the oil and gas industry and to become employers themselves. “This is the beginning of a new phase in your lives,” he explained to the trainees, noting that “The industry is in need of manpower, but manpower that is skilled.” He urged them to make the best of the opportunity provided, while emphasising that the Board is “going to be tracking [their] progress” and also monitoring the quality of training imparted. He assured them that they would receive “globally recognised certification” at the end of the programme. The Director who was represented by Mr. Jeff Tuatuagha, General Manager, Upstream and Monitoring of the NCDMB, commended Waltersmith Refinery for keying meaningfully into the capacity building programme of the NCDMB and for the sound organisation in putting together the current training programme. He was similarly impressed with Dexterous Applied Training Institute for successfully conducting the selection process based on personal data extracted from NCDMB’s Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System (NOGIC JQS). The Group Head, External Affairs and Government Relations of Waltersmith, Mrs. Eriye Onagoruwa, echoed the point made by the NCDMB Director on opportunities in the oil and gas industry, noting that “There is a mad hunt for manpower in different sectors of the economy. But you must have the required skills.” She said, “discipline and consistency are vital” to achieve their goals, and that they must eschew entitlement mentality which inclines individuals to believe that they could secure employment simply because of where they come from. “No handovers anymore,” she reiterated, adding that there are no short cuts either. On the training scope for the programme, the Assistant Training Officer at Dexterous, Mr. Dumam Abila, said there are two broad categories, namely, professional and vocational. Under the professional category are Procurement and Supply Chain Management, Project Management, Safety Courses, Software Operations, Quality Management Systems, and Engineering. Vocational courses include Welding and Fabrication, Building and Construction, Lifting and Rigging, Dry Plant Equipment, Maintenance and Operation, and Heavy Duty Equipment Operation. The Institute’s Chief Training Officer, Engr. O.C. Scott, told the participants that the programme is designed to bridge “the gap between academic training and industry practice,” and encouraged them to approach trainers to discuss whatever challenges they experience at any point. In response to a question from a trainee, he said hands-on training for some of the courses would be held at operational sites in Port Harcourt and Warri, Delta State, and that accommodation would be provided when the programme takes them to Delta State. Dexterous is an internationally accredited training provider and a leading member of the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN). It is also a City and Guilds Qualification Certification Centre.