Thirty engineering graduates have been inducted to the fifth batch of the Shell Nigeria internship programme, a four-year old scheme designed to help young graduate engineers upscale their skills in readiness for employment in the energy sector.

The internship programme, run in collaboration with the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), places the interns with various Nigerian oil and gas service companies to gain industry experience for one year.

SPDC Nigerian Content Manager, Mr. Olanrewaju Olawuyi, described the programme as a critical intervention in bridging the manpower gap in the industry and enhancing local capacity.

Olawuyi who spoke in Port Harcourt at the recent induction of the new interns and the graduation of 30 interns of the fourth batch of the programme, said: “Out of the 140 graduates so far trained through the programme, 65 percent are now gainfully employed in the oil and gas industry.” He added: “I am excited at the successful fit of the candidates, I encourage the incoming interns to make the best use of this unique opportunity.”

President, PETAN, Mr. Bank Anthony Okoroafor, said: “The objectives of the programme is to give young graduates the opportunity to have one-year on-the-job training in their respective disciplines thereby enhancing their employability. The success of the Shell/PETAN internship scheme has gone beyond the shores of Nigeria.”

One of the beneficiaries, Miss. Ugonna Queen Ochuba, said: “The Shell/PETAN internship was my first on-the-job training opportunity. The internship did not just give me the opportunity to be hands-on but also helped to boost my skills and experience in my discipline.”

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Manager Capacity Building, Mrs. Angela Okoro, commended the Shell/PETAN collaboration. She said: “This is one of the capacity development initiatives that the Board is replicating.”

General Manager, Business and Government Relations of Shell Nigeria, Mr. Bashir Bello, said: “Every year, the Internship supports fresh graduate talent through exposure to rich technical on-the-job work experience to equip them with practical industry experience, which will then position them favorably for employment opportunities after the programme.”

Shell/PETAN internship programme was conceived as part of the collaboration roadmap to support efforts at closing identified gaps in the availability of competent manpower in critical disciplines like Geology and Engineering, in the oil and gas industry