Ghanaian students spurn oil & Gas courses

By Adu Koranteng

Students in Ghana are refusing to undertake courses on oil and gas at the various public universities in Ghana due to uncertainty in the job market, information gathered reveals.

Speaking to the New Crusading Guide after a presentation on oil and gas under the team, understanding the Product: “Hydrocarbon”, Dr S.K Donyinah, a lecturer on Oil gas at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology said since these courses were introduced after the discovery of oil and gas in Ghana, Majority of graduates who undertook these programmes have failed to secure jobs after completion. This he said has caused fear and panic among young students who are now opting for business programmes.

The rate of student population undertaking these courses have reduced drastically due to the fear associated with it. Most students who completed the courses have not been able to secure jobs and his creates uncertainty among the young ones. They are now opting for business programmes where job opportunities are high and assured”. He stated.

Research indicates that even locals working in the oil and gas industry are not well paid compared to the expatriates. Besides,

 Meanwhile, Ms Doe Agbolosoo-Mensah, an official in charge of corporate Planning at the Ghana National Petroleum corporation in an interview with the New Crusading Guide  said  employers in the industry  are not looking for graduates in Bachelor of Arts  and science or Masters in Business Administration(MBA) in  Oil and Gas  but  engineers, geologists, technician’s  and  other highly qualified technical people with high level  experience.

 “So students who have undertaken Bachelor   and MBA programmes in Oil and Gas have basic knowledge in oil and gas but what is required is technical knowledge, and there are few. So they may claim that there are no jobs in the sector when there are enormous opportunities available for technical staff.   We are therefore encouraging Ghanaians to acquire more technical and vocational skills to get secured jobs in the oil and gas sector,” she advised.