Like many African countries,  Tanzania has no shortage of supply of natural oil and gas. However, there is  a shortage of skills and experience in this sector within Tanzania. To  address this, multinational companies like GE are working hard to empower  local people by building valuable skills, and helping to ensure the  sustainable development of the country.

Currently Tanzania lacks an  adequate number of drillers, engineers, managers, and production and  operation workers to support the industry. This need for skills and training  is a driving force behind three engineers from the Tanzanian Petroleum Development  Corporation (TPDC) joining other international participants in a four-month  training programme at GE Oil & Gas University in Italy.

GE Oil & Gas University is  located in Florence, the world-renowned Italian city credited as the  birthplace of the Renaissance. The university opened in 2005, and is  committed to helping the oil and gas workforce grow by offering skills development focused on operational excellence.

The training provides a complete  approach to developing knowledge with courses in four different disciplines: leadership,  energy, oil & gas processes and oil & gas equipment. The programme comprises  over forty courses, lasting approximately four months.

Petroleum engineer Fabian Mwose,  together with chemical and process engineers Lilian Zambi and Limi Lagu,  participated in the training programme  in mid-2015 and will apply the knowledge they gained to the oil and gas  industry in Tanzania. The mandate of TPDC is to spearhead, facilitate and  undertake oil exploration and development in Tanzania, and having the right  skills in place to do so is critical for this important work.

The engineers said that they were  very pleased with the relevance of the courses offered by GE Oil & Gas,  saying it would bring value to their career, and help TPDC build more capable  and skilled staff. After completing their studies the engineers returned to  Tanzania determined to share their knowledge with the teams they work with.

Against the backdrop of current  low oil prices and an economic downturn, training remains as important as  ever. Investments in skills development through established programmes such  as those offered by GE Oil & Gas University play an important role in  helping develop the future workforce.(Source: GE)