Chinese oil and gas company, CNOOC Uganda Limited has undertaken the training of Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers so as to be able to equip them with skills required in the oil and gas sector but also to ensure they get the required licences.
The training is expected to cater for the estimated transportation needs which shall in turn build the capacities and capabilities of Ugandan citizens in this skill.
The 70 participants to this HGV driver training will learn the key issues in dealing with heavy good vehicle driving in accordance to East African community curriculum.
The three (3) months program provides interactive forum for instructors to share, explore and discuss concepts and issues of HGV driving and Road Safety.
“This training has enabled positive discrimination for female candidates who have been selected as the primary
beneficiaries of this program through a partnership with the Bunyoro Kitara kingdom,”said Aminah Bukenya, Media and Publicity Manager for CNOOC.
According to some of the drivers, the training is a rare opportunity for them to acquire the employable skills in the oil and gas sector.
“We are happy with this initiative but also thankful to the oil and gas companies who are going to train us in these skills which shall enable us participate in the oil and gas sector especially after FID,” said Irene Businge, one of the beneficiaries.
The selection of trainees in this particular cohort was undertaken in partnership with Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom that supported the identification and selection process together with the implementing service provider Uganda Driving Standards Agency.
The partnership with the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom was aimed at positive discrimination for potential beneficiaries from the Bunyoro Sub-Region that hosts the Kingfisher Project.
” Industrial Baseline Survey highlighted 100,000 to 150,000 indirect and induced jobs. We believe that this is one of the mechanisms to identify ways to bridge the gaps to maximize national content participation especially during the development and production phases of the project,” said Zakalia Lubega, the Head of Corporate Affairs at CNOOC.
According Bunyoro Prime Minister, Andrew Byakutaaga Ateenyi, such initiatives will ensure the local population benefit directly from the oil sector.
“Skilling our people is one of the avenues through which they can tap into local content opportunities. This program is another success in the cordial working relationship with CNOOC Uganda Limited,” he said.
Following Uganda’s oil and gas discoveries, the sector is transitioning into the development phase in Preparation for sustainable production of these resources.
In order to promote national content in the development and production phases, the three Joint Venture (JV) partners of CNOOC Uganda Ltd, Total Energies and Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) commissioned an extensive Industrial Baseline Survey (IBS).
The survey was done to determine and align potential demand of the planned projects for goods and services with the Ugandan market to deliver them and transportation and logistics was identified as one of the 25 sectors with relatively high benefits and feasibility for national content development.
Transportation is also among the goods and services to be provided by Ugandan companies, Ugandan
citizens and registered entities as detailed in the Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) (National Content) Regulations, 2016.
