Saipem backs Namibia oil skills
Saipem and the Petroleum Training and Education Fund (Petrofund) have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at developing skills for Namibia’s emerging upstream oil and gas industry.
The agreement, signed in Windhoek on Tuesday, establishes a framework for cooperation on local skills development, knowledge transfer and training opportunities for Namibians seeking to enter the sector.
The collaboration comes as Namibia’s offshore oil and gas industry moves from exploration towards the development of major discoveries, increasing demand for technical skills and industry experience.
Under the agreement, Saipem and Petrofund intend to work together on on-the-job training, internships, scholarships, technical training, career fairs and supplier development initiatives.
The programme will particularly target young Namibian professionals, university graduates and graduates from technical and vocational education and training institutions.
Participants are expected to gain practical exposure to technologies, processes, equipment and safety standards used in the international oil and gas industry.
The MoU also provides for mentoring and coaching programmes, technical knowledge sharing, curriculum development, research and innovation, and engagement with educational and training institutions.
Petrofund, Namibia’s national institution responsible for capacity building in the upstream petroleum sector, will bring its skills-development mandate to the partnership, while Saipem will contribute international engineering and energy-sector expertise.
The entities said the collaboration is intended to help develop a pipeline of Namibian talent capable of supporting the country’s expanding upstream industry.
For Saipem, the partnership forms part of its approach to local content and workforce development in markets where it operates.
The company said Namibia’s growing energy sector presents an opportunity to invest in local talent while supporting knowledge transfer and professional training.
The agreement is also intended to strengthen opportunities for Namibians to participate in the wider oil and gas value chain, including through supplier development.
Namibia has attracted significant international attention following a series of offshore oil discoveries in the Orange Basin, with operators now assessing the commercial development of several resources.
The development of the sector is expected to create demand not only for petroleum specialists but also for engineers, technicians, project managers, suppliers and other professionals supporting exploration, development and production activities.
