HUMAN RESOURCE DEVEOLPMENT FOR UPSTREAM OPERATIONS IN THE OIL INDUSTRY IN GHANA: Students views and future prospects in the oil industry

After more than three scores and two decades of oil exploration, Ghana finally struck oil in commercial quantities in its off shore oil exploration expedition in conjunction with Kosmos and Tullow Ghana oil companies in June 2007. The many years spent to locate a pool of crude in the sedimentary basin of the Saltpond oil field affected the national plan to produce manpower for the oil industry. This then raises the interest of this paper to look into issues regarding skills that would be required to work in the oil industry and whether universities are producing students with these skills. All of these would be done by using the eyes of students because the paper focuses on students perceptions, ideas and dreams. Students’ perception with regards to why they choose to have higher education, opted for their courses, their expectations and where they would want to work in the oil industry after their courses and their fore knowledge about job conditions in the oil industry were explored together with students’ perceptions about life working in the oil industry. Their views on how they see the structure of their courses and whether in their candid opinion the course structure would really lead them to achieve their objectives and areas of the courses they would like changes to be effected and why. Findings from this paper show that, students are very handicapped in the practical aspect of their training and are much worried about their chances in contemporary competitive labour market. This is despite the fact that the literature reports a global shortage. The perceived unfavourable working conditions on the rig have raised fear and anxiety among the male students to the extent that most have decided not to pursue career on a rig. Among the female students however, a there is a noticeable desire not to pursue a career on the rig which is heavily influenced rather by socio-cultural norms than biological differences. Multinational companies were found to have closed their doors to universities, lecturers and students and have made teaching at the oil departments in the universities to be more theoretical without practicals. Though the nation has come out with a development policy which has been transformed into parliamentary Bill to be passed into law to guide the oil industry, it has little or no effect on the attitude of MNCs towards universities and students regarding accessing their rigs and using their facilities for practical training.