What To Expect From Petroleum Courses in Tanzania
Despite the fact that Tanzanian gas sector is in infant level but a lot have been done by government and its relevant ministries to develop local skills needed to handle our new found resources.These days we have many educational institutions offer petroleum related programs.
However, there is a significant gap between the kinds of graduates that universities are delivering and what oil and gas companies needs? Have you ever considered why this happen? Here’re challenges:
Read Also:Tanzania Oil and Gas Industry And What You need To Know To Participate In This rewarding Sector
According to the Norwegian Agency for Development cooperation (NORAD)’ need assessment revealed that University training in oil and gas in Tanzania is confronted with the following challenges: Concentration on upstream(exploration and production activities) not including downstream and midstream operations such as storage transportation, shortage of qualified teaching staff, absence of laboratories and equipment and preponderance of theoretical orientation.
Let face them
Courses Concentrate on upstream activities ( exploration and productions)
Many petroleum courses offered in Tanzania relies on teaching students on how to search and getting oil and gas out of the ground. But the courses are far taken off downstream and midstream fields where students would gain insight on refining transportation and marketing oil, and gas.
Think courses like petroleum engineering, petroleum geology, petroleum geoscience and so on
Lack of trainer with practical experience related to Oil and Gas Sector
The fact is that, In petroleum industries experiences is vital than the level of education some one posses
Why?,Having practical experience means you have met with many challenges and you know how to work on it. Instructor with theoretical information and absence past work experiences in oil and is very hard to deliver and make students have a clear idea about oil and gas sector.
Theoretical Orientation
Lack of laboratories, equipment, and industrial practical training relevant to petroleum industries is another challenge in petroleum courses in Tanzania
What do we expect from this trend?
Under this environment job in international oil companies won’t be for every Tanzanian due to incompetency.
Some graduates should have no alternative than to go for extra post graduates oversea universities
Ideally, you say oil and gas companies would give you on the job training to adapt these skills, But trust me nobody love to train fresh graduates from scratch as it cost company millions of dollars to train. Our graduates must be prepared to have skills and knowledge that meet petroleum industries
Opportunities
Despite these challenges Tanzania petroleum courses has benefit to developing Tanzania Local content because
Stimulate jobs
Increase skilled workforce
The writer suggestion on how to Overcome to these challenges
As the oil and gas sector grow at fast rate than you have ever imagine possible , the writer recommendation is to Focusing on high-quality education. How? This can be achieved through partnership between government and industries
Why? Because it seems the institution that delivers top quality oil and gas education have been doing the same way
Let take Nigeria as a case study.
Nigeria’s institute of petroleum studies is sponsored by Total exploration and production company and state-owned Nigerian National petroleum Corporation.
By doing so, they managed to minimize costs of sending students overseas for petroleum training and them able to produce graduates with skills fits oil and gas industries inside their territories.
Dear readers we love to hear from you
For the further assistance would be thrilled to reach me through Hussein.Boffu@tanzaniapetroleum.com
0655 7 65 43 or 0689 95 57 11
