Namibians need skills in offshore catering to benefit from oil and gas industry – survey

Namibia need to build better capacity in offshore catering to fully benefit from the opportunities created by the oil and gas industry, a survey shows.

Currently, catering companies do not have the capacity to provide offshore catering services for the country’s oil and gas industry.

The Industrial Baseline Survey, conducted to evaluate the country’s industrial and workforce readiness for oil and gas projects, shows that offshore catering is one of the areas in which the country’s workforce lacks relevant skills.

The survey was conducted by Deloitte Namibia.

During the launch of the survey last week, Deloitte Namibia country director of risk advisory Melanie Harrison said the survey evaluated supply chain readiness.

“Offshore catering services are some of the skills gaps that were identified during the survey,” said Harrison.

From those evaluated, 13 supply chains were identified to have minimal gaps, hence offering quick wins for Namibian entities.

According to Harrison, even the local suppliers that have capacity currently require upskilling to meet industry standards.

“While 82% of the respondents have some elements of Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) in place, only 14% do annual reporting, 29% monitor HSSE and 57% provide training or receive inspections,” said Harrison.

Due to large amounts of capital needed for the industry, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) may not be able to participate in the upstream industry, she said.

“Stringent oil and gas requirements for suppliers are preventing local participation, especially for the youth.

“As the oil and gas sector in Namibia is relatively new, local companies with current high compliance with standards may still need additional support to meet the necessary compliance requirements,” she added.

Last week, the Cabinet approved the National Upstream Local Content Policy.

With the country set for its first oil production in 2029, the local content policy aims to ensure that local businesses and the workforce are prioritised to benefit from the industry.

Mines and energy minister Tom Alweendo says the survey is a good step in providing direction to the country in terms of the skills needed.

“This survey has given us a picture of what we have and what we still need, therefore, offering us a guideline on where we need to invest to be ready,” he says.

Alweendo notes that Namibia is not the only country with oil and must ensure it is competitive.

“It’s really important to make sure we have the infrastructure we need to have [and] the human capability.”

According to Alweendo, the ministry will continue to ensure the country has good governance, however, a thriving industry requires collective effort from various stakeholders.